She Among Wolves
by CapraParsay
Summary: "Time to finish this Little Bat," he growled. "What are you waiting for?" she taunted, her eyes glittering. There was an understanding between them now, neither was to concede. Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. AU, Dauntless Initiation. Eric/OC.
1. Destitute

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**Hello there fellow Divergent addicts, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter and look forward to many more to come, I intend to update regularly! I envision Eric to look the way he does in the film, this is going to be somewhere between 25-30 chapters in length. **

**Please review, a little healthy criticism never hurt anyone ;)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, I also do not own Eric which pains me deeply. **_

In an ideal world, Kazana would feel nothing but bliss as she watched the ember glow bathe her city, a gentle hum sounding in the distance as the train made its way back to the place that she'd soon know all too well.

It's unfortunate then, that the life of the factionless was anything but blissful. The stench of rotting food, stale alcohol and body odour followed her as she retrieved a thick winding of rope from beneath a bunched up sheet in the corner of the rooftop she now resided upon, a sight no guard would think to check as Kazana well knew, fastening it to a railing she looked wistfully at the zip line that led to dauntless headquarters.

What she'd give to ride that just once, perhaps she'd get her chance soon, providing everything went to plan. She climbed down the rope with haste, stopping halfway to glance around before bringing her legs up and over her head and hanging upside down like a bat; she couldn't stifle the laugh of glee that escaped her, savouring a moment in which she could forget her cold reality.

* * *

"Where've you been? Evelyn is looking for you," Edward ran towards her. He looked more panicked than usual. Everyone had been on edge since Evelyn had announced the mission to the entirety of the group, for three years only a select few knew what she had planned. Edward had joined the previous year after being attacked by a student in his chosen faction.

"Nightly Checks, they've increased the number of guards, they're suspicious Ed, but what happened at Erudite? Did everything go smoothly? Am I on the system?" Kazana reeled off the questions anxiously, there was a reason she'd never be in abnegation when curiosity plagued her at every turn, but what did she know of belonging, Kazana thought bitterly.

Ed's expression softened as he ran his thumb over the underside of his eye patch, a nervous habit he'd picked up over the past year. She couldn't help the pang that came over her whenever she caught him staring off in to the distance, she know he was thinking of Dauntless, of the future that had been so viciously snatched from him. "Later, Evelyn needs to discuss the plan with you, I'll tell you everything afterwards" he didn't move away immediately, his eye darting down to the rope in her hands "guard watch, huh?" he smirked.

Taking the rope from her hands he turned her in the direction of the warehouse that they were currently using as headquarters and moved her forward with a swift smack of the bum. He sprinted away laughing as he went before she could retort. With a shaky sigh she made her way up the stairs, they were caked with dirt. Evelyn's door was shut which no doubt meant she was talking to another member of the group in private, Kazana leaned against the wall at the top of the staircase and felt a crunch of glass beneath her feet, a beer bottle, Kazana grimaced as unwanted memories flitted through her mind.

Having grown up factionless, it was no surprise that she knew hunger better than anyone, understood the weight of her hair as it clung to her face and neck sodden with months of filth.

She could only be thankful that Evelyn had found her in her Twelfth year, before the monsters that hid in the shadows could come creeping, she could not say the same for some of her peers and Kazana would always be grateful, she owed Evelyn her life.

The door finally opened and out strode Cain, he had been her instructor for four years having been exiled from Dauntless for speaking out against the leaders he had ranked first in his own initiation process. She and Evelyn found him curled up on the tracks leading to the fence, whatever fire might have once lit his eyes was gone and it was clear in the slump of the shoulders, the blank look on his face that he wanted the train to arrive soon.

He made his way over to her, "Kazana, how are we feeling this evening" he leaned in and raised his eyebrows "nervous?" She narrowed her eyed in mock fury, shoving his shoulder away she began to walk into the room he'd just left "Not in the least, I'll see you in the morning?" he nodded as she shut the door behind her.

Cain was the reason she could now be considered a force to be reckoned with, she'd been training with him the day Evelyn had put her plan into place, shooting, blade throwing, hand to hand combat, and it would all come to serve her in short time were everything to fall in to place.

Unknown to her peers, Kazana had taken to climbing from a young age, a form of escape she supposed as she took a seat opposite Evelyn. What little light illuminated their faces came from a flickering candle on the floor between them the windows had been boarded up and abandonment was the first word that came to mind as she looked at the empty space around her, maybe that's why she liked it so much. She'd watched the dauntless climb buildings as a young child, before it was crucial that she hide away from curious eyes.

Admiration and envy filled her as she watched the muscles under their arms ripple and tense as they made their way with ease up the sky high buildings in the compound. Kazana's body was strong but she knew, even all those years ago that she would never be like the women in Dauntless without enough nourishment.

She looked down at her fingers, the skin clung to the bones, they looked like they wanted to escape as they protruded from her wrists, her hips, her back. It had always been that way, another thing she had been told would change. Her mouth watered as she envisioned endless plates of steaming hot burgers and chicken wings, thick chunky wedges of chocolate cake and to wash it all down…clean water. That, in particular, would be a true luxury.

Evelyn watched as Kazana looked down at her hands, deep in thought. She cleared her throat and Kazana was pulled back into reality, she smiled sheepishly at the woman she now considered to be a mother figure. "Are you nervous?" Evelyn enquired softly, Kazana released the large breath she had been holding and shook her head "No, but I've been asked that a few times today which is starting to make feel otherwise," she rested her chin on her knees and hummed thoughtfully, "Edward said you were looking for me".

Evelyn straightened then, she smoothed a lock of hair from her face and reached behind her to grab a stack of papers, tattered and tainted with the grime that seemed to cling to Kazana's atmosphere, it was in the air that she breathed, and it had been for 16 years.

"Yes, this is the last chance you and I have to discuss tomorrow, you must be up before dawn, and Edward will accompany you to Amity where arrangements have been made for clothing and other essentials." Kazana hoped that by other essentials she meant a hearty breakfast and a shower. "Did everything go to plan? Am I on the system?" Kazana enquired, the question had been torturing her for hours.

Evelyn nodded, "I thought you'd have extracted that information from Edward by now, the mission went smoothly as was to be expected" Kazana detected a hint of pride in her voice as Evelyn continued, "Erudite seem to have upped their security, it wasn't easy getting in but there should be no issues tomorrow providing you do everything as we discussed." Evelyn leaned in, her eyes dark and intense under the candle's glow she asked, "Who are you?"

This was a question Kazana had struggled to answer for 16 years, but she had learnt this person with such conviction she began to believe it was her. She knew who she was.

"Kazana Jane Thomas, daughter of Matthew and Phoebe Thomas. I am Sixteen years old, I have grown up in the Amity Faction my whole life, my parents are both teachers and therefore they have been responsible for my education up until now, I have never been to the Hub. Tomorrow will be my first time, when I attend the choosing ceremony."

Evelyn watched her with careful scrutiny, she came even closer now and their faces inches apart, she spoke, "and what will you choose?" Kazana pulled away, a slow smile curled on her lips as she lifted her chin and looked down at Evelyn with new found confidence.

"Dauntless."


	2. The Choosing Ceremony

She Among Wolves

Chapter 2

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**I envision Eric to look the way he does in this film. I am looking to make this story about 25-30 chapters in length **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent; I also do not own Eric which pains me deeply. **_

"_Checkmate" Kazana announced with a grin, allowing the yawn she had been supressing to finally take control, hearing a satisfying click as she rolled her head back and forth and lightly kneaded her shoulders with her fingertips. Working in the field all day had been tiresome and though she grimaced at the idea of another day's work she knew it was trivial in comparison to the challenges that she'd be facing after tomorrow, the choosing ceremony. _

"_Well played" her father, Matthew Thomas smiled warmly at her and stood to join his wife in drying the plates from their meal earlier. "The student has surpassed the master" he cried in mock despair, clinging to his wife and holding a dramatic hand to his forehead. Kazana would usually have rolled her eyes and left them to their own devices, the desperate yearning to leave had grown stronger in recent months and her aptitude test had only confirmed that. Tonight however, was her last night, and she couldn't give that up to childish mood swings. _

Method Acting, she'd made a habit of breaking and entering which meant the extensive library in Erudite Headquarters had once been a favourite haunt of hers. Few books existed from before the faction system had been put in to place; those that did Kazana had made a habit of 'borrowing' on frequent occasions.

"**Method acting** **is a group of techniques actors use to create in themselves the thoughts and feelings of their characters**" her eyes scanned the words greedily; apparently the cameras that were now used to survey those in the different factions, to control them, had once been used to tell stories.

Kazana would never be an actress, but the next few months perhaps even years of her life would be one be one big act and for that she needed all the help she could get. She envisioned the smell of Phoebe Thomas' hair as she enveloped Kazana in her wiry but strong arms, freshly cut grass and butterscotch.

A bulbous rain drop fell on to her nose, alerting her to the heavy showers to come. Kazana had always thought that rain seemed full of contempt, gleeful when the extent of its hatred bubbled up from the clouds and fell to the world below. She could hardly be blamed for feeling so, she'd experienced many a sleepless night in the rain. The icy wind chased her with harsh screams as she made her way into the warehouse for the second time that night, sleep would be essential for the day ahead.

The factionless could hardly be possessive in such a desolate position, it was necessary to stick together and share supplies to survive. Kazana made her way in to the Night Room; it was the warmest floor in the building as what little insulation it had was still intact. The ground was covered in sleeping forms and she struggled to step over them in the pitch black darkness, a hand wrapped around her ankle, dragging her down.

She yelped in surprise, crashing to the floor and a few surrounding people groaned their complaints before settling back down in to sleep. Kazana was poised to attack but when she heard Ed's familiar chuckle she instantly relaxed, he covered her in an extra blanket and huddled in close. "That wasn't funny," Kazana hissed in the darkness, she pinched what skin she could find, hard. "Oww ouch ouch okay I'm sorry, I SURRENDER!" He shouted the last part on purpose and she let go immediately, her eyes darting around to make sure everyone was still asleep.

Kazana wanted to ask Edward everything, know every detail of what had happened at Erudite that day but fatigue was a powerful opponent and her body would soon give out. Edward had become her best friend when she never thought that possible and what fleeting time they had could not be wasted.

"I'm scared Ed" she whispered shakily into his ear, careful not to let the others hear such confessions. Kazana was vigilant never to show weakness, never to be intimidated by another. It was crucial that she adopt such sensibilities for the mission, but it was more than that to her, it was a defence mechanism; she had been hurt too many times in her life. So Edward just pulled her in tighter and rested his forehead against hers.

_She was bathing in warm sunlight; the sheets pooled around her waist as she sighed contentedly and slowly opened her eyes. Her Amity uniform was the first thing she saw, folded on the chair beside her. Kazana was slow to dress; a comfortable ache in her muscles had her appreciating for one last time, the merits of the gentle. Tonight, she would not feel the soft red fabric caress her skin as she swayed from one field to the next, but something altogether more harsh, more heavy and black. _

_Unsure of the material she pondered this as she made her way to the kitchen where her mother and father were waiting for her, leather? "Ah, her majesty has awoken!" her father winked, but her mother looked altogether more distressed, she was pulled into a fierce embrace by the two of them, her dad rested his chin on her head as she buried her face into the collar of her mother's tunic. One word came to mind, __**Safe.**_

* * *

"RISE AND SHINE SWEETHEART!" Cain's obnoxious voice crowed in her ears as she blinked rapidly, the rotting wood on the windows blocked out a majority of the day's light. She'd been training for years but time could not erase the violent pain that resided in her limbs on a cold morning, a result of severe malnourishment. She knew one thing was for sure, she was going to eat the Dauntless out of Camp and Compound. "Alright, I'm up, I'm up," she groaned as he repeatedly clicked his fingers in her face.

Looking around she noticed Edward was nowhere to be seen and frowned at the idea of leaving without saying goodbye. There were no clothes for her to dress into, she was to arrive at the fence in her current clothing and change there, and she allowed herself for a moment, to feel an intense excitement at the indefinite but improved future, to finally _belong _somewhere. Such thoughts could only be fleeting however as she reminded herself of the plan, belonging to Dauntless was just a falsity, a pretence designed to fool them into trusting her when the uprising began.

Kazana didn't really have many things in life to appreciate, or at least she never had before so she liked to think that what she did have, she understood and acknowledged. Appreciation is never so strong however as when it is living on transient time. Edward was waiting outside for her when she and Cain left the warehouse. His hair looked the same as always, golden, shaggy and in need of a good wash. He grinned when he saw her, but the smile didn't reach his eyes and she felt no shame in throwing her arms around his waist.

At 5'4 she barely reached his shoulder but he lifted her off the ground for a few moments before setting her back down. It had occurred to her before, a curiosity as to why what she had with Edward wasn't something more. He was handsome, or at least he had been before hunger and poverty had taken him for its own and she adored him even when he angered her to no end.

Years of hiding made them unnoticeable to the early birds of Candor as they made their way to amity on foot. It took a good two hours as they finally saw the haze of red coming and going from the fields, Kazana had only even read about the Amity faction, she had only ever heard stories so when the smell of fresh grass finally came to her on the gentle breeze she closed her eyes for a moment to savour it.

Needless to say, the Amity existed to keep the peace and a group of rebels travelling down to disrupt that would be little welcome to their comfortable society. As such, the three of them worked their way around the faction, darting through fields that were not in use at the time, Evelyn had certainly done her research, Kazana mused.

They reached a small house, she'd read they were once referred to as cottages, with wooden panels and a straw thatched roof; it hit Kazana that this was the ultimate definition of a home. The girl in her fantasies, the one she was to become, lived in this very house. Cain was the first to approach the door and a plump woman who looked to be in her forties came running out to embrace him. "My baby!" she cried as she rocked him back and forth.

Kazana and Ed exchanged raised brows but readily received hugs from the woman who didn't seem the least bit bothered by their pungent smell. She did however, usher them in to the house with cries of, "You'll catch the death of cold standing out here any longer in those clothes."

The smell of freshly baked bread filled the house and Kazana had never felt such conflict as she looked between the breakfast table and the bathroom. She had gone hungry for 16 years, she could wait one more hour, moving into the bathroom she peeled off her filthy tunic and trousers. She stared at the bath for a long time, willing it to fill with fresh hot water before giving up and asking the older woman for assistance.

The lady, whose name she now learnt was Sylvia, bustled into the room taking no notice of her nudity and twisted various knobs to get the bath going. "Your clothes are here, I assumed you'd be small but my goodness girl..." she tutted and looked at Kazana pitifully before pointing to a towel, turning off the water flow and waddling out of the room.

Silk, that is what the water felt like, cool woven silk embracing her body and adoring it as she lowered her head in to the water and felt the strands release, months of filth gone, in such a short space of time. Mimicking Sylvia's movements, she emptied and filled the bath again as the water had turned a revolting shade of brown.

Washing her hair with lavender soap, she wanted to stay bathed in this luxury forever but Cain knocked on her door vigorously "Hurry up would you? We have an hour till the ceremony and you still have to eat!"

He was pulled away from the door by a very cross Sylvia. "That young lady needs time to clean and nourish herself and don't you dare rush her!" Kazana dried and dressed quickly, the clothes felt heavier than she imagined in her dreams.

Breakfast was an occasion she would not soon forget in all her years, having lived off the scraps of whatever she could find she had to restrain herself from consuming everything that lay before her lest she get severely sick. As she shovelled one last wad honey lathered waffle, she moaned and let the sticky sweet sensation imprint itself in to her memory.

She did not linger on goodbyes to Edward and Cain as she was guided into a car that she could only assume had been arranged by Evelyn and Sylvia. It would only have hurt more, so she settled for a gentle hand squeeze, and a bumping of fists with Cain, "I know you'll do well kid," he assured her with such ease that she almost believed it. The man driving the car didn't say anything and Kazana was glad for it, they made their way to The Hub in silence, it gave her more time to ponder on her thoughts.

* * *

_8 hours earlier_

Evelyn nodded and Kazana could have sworn she saw a hint of pride in the older woman's eye, when she was pleased she was not obvious in showing it. "You understand the entire mission rests on what you do now, I have had everything prepared for tomorrow as there are people we can trust in Amity but you know we have no eyes in Dauntless, we have taught you everything we could Kazana but your main priority is to blend in there, pass yes, but do not, whatever you do draw attention to yourself, is that clear?" Kazana wasn't sure why Evelyn was telling her this, the plan has been clear for three years to her now, everything she did she had done for the good of the mission and nothing would change that now.

"Yes."

* * *

_Present_

The driver pulled in to a side street in the centre of the city, Kazana could only give him a swift nod as she made her way out of the empty street and in to the busy Hub, her stomach groaned happily from her meal and she wondered if she had ever felt so strong, undoubtedly no. A flurry of red swept before her and she recognized it was a group of Amity students ready for initiation; they gave her curious glances as she followed them into the building before them but said nothing, anything to avoid conflict.

The noise was deafening as she walked into the auditorium, it was so large she could not even see the corners of the room as each student took their place in their original factions. Everyone's eyes fell on to the five bowls in the centre of the room, a sight Kazana was not unfamiliar with, she had been told about this process in full detail but still struggled to keep a straight face as it dawned on her that she was really _there. _

She wasn't just a factionless nobody, it was a fresh start for them all but for her more than anybody. Taking one of the last remaining seats in the Amity section she got a couple of odd looks from the people around her, it was rare but not unheard of to attend the choosing ceremony without one's parents. Kazana's story had her parents busy in the fields, sorrowfully unable to be a part of their baby girl's big day. The noise died down as a man with greying hair and mischievous eyes took to the microphone, he welcomed everyone to the choosing ceremony and spouted some nonsense about belonging and faction before blood.

Kazana tuned it out as she knew the speech well, she had once clung to the words that featured in every book and on every wall but since joining the rebellion they had lost their power over her and she only perked up once the names were read out. It felt like an age had passed before her name was finally called. Edward was careful not to put her name towards the end as there needed to be little attention drawn to her transfer.

"Kazana Thomas."

She had stood up too fast; her vision went black for all of a moment before she shook her head and made her way to the bowls before her. All eyes were on her. She may have been transferring but she was playing the part of an Amity and as such walked with a bounce in her step, twisting a lock of her hair in her fingers as she went, she tried to mimic the dreamy look that had graced the other girls faces in the fields. The. performance earned a few sniggers from the Candor faction.

Picking up the knife, Kazana made a show of nervously slicing her palm and holding it over the Amity bowl, it was only at the last second that she saw her blood sizzling over hot coals. There was a momentary silence before cheers erupted from the Dauntless, she could not contain her grin as she saw the infectious smiles on their faces, her first slip. She had to keep her emotions in check.

The rest of the ceremony passed in a flash as she watched those remaining choose their factions, she almost failed to realize the Dauntless were getting up to leave, almost. Kazana felt her legs moving before she even noticed what was happening, she'd known this was coming and her body was more ready than her mind as she sprinted careful not to get ahead of her peers. She had been running all her life, but never had it felt so free. A small weight formed in her stomach as she knew strict control would be necessary for many months in Dauntless, if she was to blend in, she could not excel and she knew deep down that was unbearable.

She looked nervously at her fellow transfers before climbing up to the train tracks, one of the Dauntless born boys looked down at her as she stumbled purposely on each railing. "Suddenly not so appealing, is it?" He laughed and continued upwards. Kazana was well aware she could not stand out in the compound, but what they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

She took a pocket knife out from the deep pockets in her trousers and made small barely there incisions on his clothing. Speeding up she jumped up onto the tracks, and looked down just in time to watch the boy leap on after her. His cocky smile lasted all of ten seconds as the train began to approach and his trousers pooled around his ankles, a look of pure mortification darkened his face as everyone around her roared with laughter.

Kazana did not turn to see what he did next, focusing on the approaching train she threw herself on and made sure to grasp the door's handle only at the last moment, stumbling around she let out a high yelp and was pulled in by large hand. The force of his pull knocked her off her feet as she smashed into her supposed saviour, it took only a few moments to straighten up before she took a good look around her at the other initiates.

"That's a strong grip you have there Amity, didn't think you'd make it this far you're so small." Kazana looked up to see that the boy who had pulled her in was an erudite transfer. He was broadly built, chubby around the edges, he had a kind smile but sharp eyes and with such a conflict of character she couldn't be surprised at his change of lifestyle. He was joined by a petite girl who ruffled his brown hair with a pale hand; she had a platinum blonde bob, the style worn by most Erudite girls, and curious blue eyes.

"You should know by now, _Harrison,"_ Kazana suspected she used that word to get a rise out of him, and judging by the pursing of his lips, she was right. "That size doesn't determine anything." The girl punctuated this will an elbow to his ribs and then turned to Kazana with a beaming smile. "Mia," she announced holding out a confident hand. Accepting the hand she tried to mould her face into something equally as charming but found it came out as more of a strange wince, "Kazana."

Looking around she noticed that they were the only two erudite transfers in the carriage, 6 of the transfers were Candor and one had come from abnegation, she recognized the girl from her younger days when she was allowed to receive help from their faction. It was the first time that day she truly felt fear, fear of being caught. 9 Transfers, 12 Dauntless borns. From what Edward had told her, that was an unusually low number and Kazana could only guess it had something to do with the tension in the city, the tangible unspoken word on everyone's lips. _ Rebellion. _

"They can't actually expect us to jump!" Mia's eyes were wide with horror as she looked to Kazana, her hand outstretched "together?" she asked but it was already a rhetorical question. Taking the smaller girl's hand she tried not to let herself feel the strong sensation of happiness that somebody needed her, even in that brief moment.

Kazana would have landed on both feet had it not been for the small, unsteady weight attached to her hand, she laughed it off as they rolled on to the cement. Her amusement was short lived however as she heard the screams of a Candor girl behind her, one of the boys clearly hadn't made it. She didn't have time to dwell but 16 years of pain and suffering didn't make her immune, despite Evelyn's wishes, she cared.

Kazana had expected everyone to crowd round just a little bit longer, mourn for just a second more. It was clear however, in the hardening of her peers' expressions and the speed in which they made their way across the rooftop, that the boy's death meant nothing. Why did she feel like it wouldn't be the first time?

"_Initiates."_

His voice was like a low growl, Kazana thought back to the big cats she had read about in those many books. **"The growl is a sound of aggression, the sound of a predator; it is seen as a warning to others." **

He stood elevated on the rooftop, looking down at them, his cold grey eyes surveying the people around her, sweeping over her without a second glance. Looking down Kazana saw he had multiple piercings in his eyebrows, lips and ears, his hair cut short so as to make his jawline more pronounced, chiseled.

He watched them with crossed arms, he had an incredibly muscular physique, the body of a warrior. The black vest and pants he wore, akin to those Cain were sporting when she had found him all those years ago, made his entire appearance all the harsher. Kazana had promised Evelyn that she was ready for her mission, that no matter what was thrown at her in the Dauntless Compound she would keep a clear head, why then did she feel that the man who stood before her was the most terrifying, beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"My name is Eric, Dauntless Leader and trainer I will be overseeing your initiation process." He continued to look around him before beckoning them closer, "but you're not dauntless yet, you all have to learn what it is to face your fears, overcome cowardice." He looked over his shoulder and then back at the people below him, a menacing smile touched his lips, "Time to jump."

Kazana watched as realization dawned on the faces around her. There was no need for her to act, she felt shaken up already. "They really are trying to kill us," Mia muttered in her ear, Eric zeroed in on the interaction like a hawk.

"Something to say, initiate?" He enquired softly, but there was a dangerous lilt to his voice and his face returned to the same imperturbable mask as she shook her head violently. "So who is it going to be?"

She stood back and watched as a Dauntless born took the first plunge, followed by the Candor girl who had witnessed her friend's passing. There was a stony look in her eye as she dived off the roof's edge.

One followed the next until Kazana was the last one standing, it had seemed like the best idea at the time but as Eric's eyed followed her every movement on to the roof's edge, she suddenly felt more vulnerable than ever. Her heart was pounding faster than it had as she ran books in hand, from the Erudite guards, than when she'd stumbled from the factionless men, falling multiple times on to her knees as she went. Closing her eyes, Kazana took a deep breath and tried to remember the mission at hand, Focus.

All of this and Eric hadn't said a word, he was closer when she opened her eyes, dangerously close. It seemed impossible that someone so cold could radiate such warmth. Kazana was careful not to look him in the eye as she stared at the infinite darkness below, her chest was rising and falling with such pace she could not understand her body's reaction, she just hoped he took it for fear of the fall. He leaned in; his breath tickled her ear as he spoke. "Today, initiate."

She could not resist a look then with his face inches from hers. She thought she saw it, Recognition. Terror clawed at her as he stared, like he could see right through her. It was only fleeting as a slow smirk graced his features when he pulled away. Her intake of breath was sharp and shaky, one last glimpse to the city around her, to the world she would leave behind. She exhaled, and jumped.


	3. Hidden Places

Chapter 3

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent; nor do I own the Dauntless Faction, anyone else have daydreams about training to be a dauntless warrior? No? Just me…?**_

_1 year prior the jump _

The question gnawed at Kazana's mind with great ferocity and her internal battle lasted but a few moments before she finally gave in to curiosity. "Who did it?" She'd meant for it to come out like a gentle murmur but the words sounded abrupt and careless to her ears. The blonde haired boy seemed to be pulled from his reverie as she watched him with wide unyielding eyes.

He scowled. "What makes you think it was a who?" Edward brushed his thumb habitually over the strip of gauze that hid his eye from her view.

"I changed your bandages when you arrived, that's not the sort of wound one gets from a slight slip on the chasm," she retorted.

The nerves that had plagued her before at asking such a personal question were quelled as his face relaxed and he quirked an eyebrow up at her.

"I'm surprised you know of the chasm, having never even set foot in a school before," he watched with amusement as she bristled at the comment.

"If you must know, I had been excelling during my initiation and it seems somebody just couldn't handle that kind of competition, one moment I had been sleeping peacefully in the dorms of our compound and the next I was bleeding profusely, trying to pull out a butter knife that had been wedged in to my eye socket."

Cold hearted cruelty was nothing new to Kazana; people would resort to anything when they were desperate. She could not fathom however, the hatred and jealousy it must have taken to make such a sinister decision.

"Who would _do_ something like that?"

* * *

_Present_

She felt weightless, it probably had something to do with the fact she was hurtling through the air towards a giant net. She suspected however, that it had more to do with the distance that was currently being put between her and the man standing on the roof above.

That would be the last surprise of the day, she assured herself as she landed on the great mesh net below. Cain and Edward had told her every detail of what she was to expect in the months to come, they had described the dangerous transport with which the dauntless made their way across the city, the jump that she must embark upon to reach the net where she was to be pulled off by their transfer instructor Four.

"Name?" a bored voice asked her as she slid gracelessly off the net and on to the floor below, a couple of the dauntless borns coughed in an attempt to hide their laughs. "I'm…" Kazana stopped in her tracks as she stared at the young man before her, it wasn't Four. The leaders had been described to her in extensive detail; well all but one, she thought bitterly.

Where Four's eyes were blue, the ones that stared back at her were green, the boy didn't look much older than herself but he had managed to gain what little muscle he could on to a very lean frame.

"Is that a hard question?" Kazana noticed his tone was somewhat nasally.

"You can pick a new name but there's no going back, you stick with what you got."

A woman stood off to the side watching her impatiently, she had already written down the previous initiate names, most of which were unrecognizable to her other than Mia and Harry.

She turned to match the boy's stare with equal intensity.

"Kaz,"she announced, a small grin formed on her lips as she spoke the name that would complete her new identity.

He nodded and called to the woman writing names, "Last jumper, Kaz."

He turned back and sneered slightly as he gestured for her to join the others, "perhaps in Amity it was okay to keep everyone waiting whilst you prance around smelling the flowers, but things are different here in Dauntless, those who can't keep up get left behind."

Kaz cursed herself internally as she realized that she had fallen behind a little more than expected and in doing so she had drawn more attention to herself than desired.

"My name's Peter, and this here" he gestured to the woman by the board "is Lauren, I will be overseeing the training of the transfers whilst Lauren and Eric will take care of the Dauntless Borns." Sighing inwardly with relief, Kaz relished the fact Eric would not be a part of her own initiation process; she needed a clear head if the plan was to go smoothly.

* * *

The next hour seemed to pass in a blur as Peter led her and the fellow initiates through the compound, Kaz had to commend Cain on the mental map he had created for her.

Everything was just as he had described and navigating around alone would not be a problem. It did not go unnoticed by Kaz, the unwavering glare sent to her by the dauntless born whose trousers had so mysteriously fallen down.

A conflict she did not need, she just smiled sweetly in return and felt grateful the training was to be separate as she and the fellow transfers were led to their dorms.

Scandalized gasps could be heard from a number of the initiates as they realized the sleeping and bathroom area was unisex, Kazana had to fight a scoff at their displeasure, she'd never seen a room more welcoming, choosing one of the beds by the far wall on the right side of the dorms, she began to change out of her clothes as instructed.

The temptation to give in to her body's whims and curl up into the comfort of the mattress was incredibly strong. Kaz felt unease crawling in her stomach as she tried and failed to keep the black leggings from falling down her legs, the vest hung from her body like an ill-fitting dress and she started to panic as curious eyes followed her struggle.

A Candor girl who'd kept to herself since the ceremony made her way over to Kaz in her new clothes; her blond curls were pulled harshly from her head into a tight bun.

"Your clothes are falling off," she stated. Her face blank as she watched Kaz attempt to tuck her vest into her pants.

"Yes, I think she can see that Candor," Mia drawled sarcastically as she made her way to the two girls.

The Candor girl's face remained impassive as her eyes scanned Mia who was also clad in all black attire, a quick glance around confirmed that all transfers but Kaz had changed into their new clothes and were making their way out of the dorms and in to the dinner hall.

"The name's Lisa actually, that didn't come out the way I meant it to, my older sister transferred to Dauntless three years ago and could probably get you some clothes."

Lisa stood a couple inches taller than Kaz, her hazel eyes were flecked with green.

It was impressive really, that she could look so neutral, almost bored and yet offer such unwarranted kindness. Kaz had to maintain constant vigilance and keep those around her at an arm's length but she could not help think, as she followed the girl out of the dorms desperately hugging the clothes to her body, that this girl seemed like a friend worth keeping.

"Wait up would you!" Harry grumbled, attempting to tie his shoe lace and hop behind them at the same time. Mia simply snorted and dragged him along with them. Peter had instructed them to be in the dinner hall immediately after changing as their old clothes were to be burnt and the Dauntless leaders would be giving a speech.

Kaz couldn't eat dinner in her underwear however and had no choice but to make her way around the dining hall and deeper in to the compound, waving goodbye to Harry and Mia who kept a very Erudite viewpoint on punctuality.

Lisa didn't say a word as she led the way, the caves seemed to become narrower as they made their way up into a dimly lit area, a strange sound bounced off the walls and it took a few moments for Kaz to understand that it must be music.

Rail after rail of dark clothing lined the alcove, Lisa turned to her then,

"Wait here," she muttered before walking behind another wall and out of sight. On her return, she was joined by a girl with bubble-gum pink hair and a long chain that ran from her nose to her ear, her eyes which were an identical shade to Lisa's, had been lined with thick kohl eyeliner.

She bounded towards Kaz with a manner that was so opposing to Lisa's she had to question the relation.

"Has my sister made a friend already?" the girl squealed, she was about to open her mouth again when Lisa interrupted.

"Sophie, dinner started ten minutes ago and we don't have time for your squealing, do you have clothes that will fit her or not?"

Sophie looked Kaz up and down for a moment; a puzzled frown marred her delicate features.

"I believe we have some samples in the back, we never thought anyone in Dauntless would actually need them, even a ten year old w-" her words were cut off when Lisa elbowed Sophie sharply in the ribs, old habits die hard, Kaz thought amusedly as she watched the Ex-Candor sisters interact.

"So what do you think?" Sophie questioned, chewing her lip nervously in hope of a good response. Lisa had left to join the others after Kaz insisted that she not be late. Kaz knew she had no time to lose as the sound of clattering forks and laughter could be heard from the halls below, but for the first time in her life she was finding it hard to drag her eyes from the mirror.

Her raven black hair which she had struggled to keep in a messy ponytail a majority of the time, rippled in waves down to her lower back. Cain and Evelyn had requested that she cut it once she joint dauntless so as to avoid any injuries when training, or should any of her opponents see it as a weakness to be exploited. She believed that had to wait however as she gazed in wonder at its softness.

Meeting her almond shaped eyes in the mirror; she saw their darkness were a stark contrast against her pale white skin, they were onyx black. Standing there in clothes that felt like for the first time in her life, a second skin, she saw that where the pallor of her skin usually seemed sickly and transparent, it was like bone marble under the lights.

There was a hardness in her expression that she had fought to mask, to play the light hearted Amity girl everyone saw her to be.

"It's perfect, but I am afraid I intend to undergo some changes in my time here, is it possible to get some bigger sizes?"

She watched as Sophie bustled around fetching the necessary items and her stomach growled angrily, she had experienced earlier that day the sensation of true nourishment and she was desperate for more.

Checking that the halls were clear, Kaz sprinted full speed back to the dorms where she deposited the clothes. "Free of charge" Sophie had said as Kaz questioned the number of points, "Nobody else will want those clothes".

Her heart grew heavy as she made her way to the hall which was deadly silent; something she suspected was a unique occurrence. Creeping in through the arch, she knew the expanse of stairs that led to the tables below were very high and in her current situation, very conspicuous.

She leaned her head around the wall that hid her from view and gazed at the balcony opposite, three leaders stood there looking down to the people below.

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery," a woman's voice rang out, Tori, Kaz suspected as she saw the fierceness in her countenance; all eyes were on her as she spoke.

"In the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."

The following words were lost to Kaz as her eyes drifted to a dark skinned man; his attention was not on the initiates but instead on Tori, a hint of resentment in his expression.

She directed her gaze finally to the man who stood furthest away from the two leaders; his steely eyes steadily scanned the hall below. Her hiding spot was secure as she watched on, but she could not help the discomfort that spread through her as he looked to the wall she was perched behind, she was certain his eyes lingered there for a few moments before moving on.

"WELCOME TO DAUNTLESS!" Tori roared, pulling Kaz from her worries as the words were echoed back to her, everyone's excited shouts bounced off the walls. She knew she had little time before the celebrations began and everyone would come flooding into the rest of the compound.

Darting through the halls and back to the dorms, Kaz's stomach hissed at her impatiently. Few initiates came back immediately, most of them wanted to take advantage of the chance to meet new people and explore, it was during this chaotic time that Kaz decided she would hunt for the kitchens, she didn't want to wait for breakfast and risk a weak start for her first day of training.

Passing Lisa on her way out she gave the girl a nod of appreciation and a warm smile before walking hastily down the stairs to the dining hall and through a small passageway that was sure to lead to the kitchens. Her suspicions were met with the smell of success, roasted meats and rich spices.

The ceiling was shallow but it was a spacious area with large stone fire ovens, utensils hung from above, ingredients were stored in jars that lined the walls. Kaz could not hide her surprise; she had expected something far more…industrial.

Platters of food covered every surface and Kaz felt herself unsure where to start, were initiates even allowed in the kitchens? She would have to make it quick and simple. Three burgers, five carrots and half a bread roll later Kaz decided that luck could only be on her side so long, she began to make her way out of the kitchens.

The candles that had lit the passageway to the dinner hall were now beginning to die away, but she was used to working in the dark. It came as a shock to her then, when a voice spoke from behind her.

"First night and she's already sneaking into places she shouldn't, do you have a death wish, Amity?" If she'd found Eric unnerving before, alone in the dark with him, armed with nothing but a carrot, made that experience seem leisurely.

Mumbling a few choice apologies and scurrying off in to the dark would have been the right thing to do, the Amity thing to do, but fatigue, hunger and stress did funny things to a person and she had kept quiet long enough that day.

"My _name_ is Kaz and on the contrary, I have no wish to die just yet hence the late night trip," she punctuated the last remark with an exaggerated bite of her carrot, never taking her eyes off his.

A pierced eyebrow lifted on his shadowed face, the faint curl of his lips spoke of a slight amusement but it did not reach his acute gaze, she imagined he was trying to search her face for some sort of weakness but she just lifted her chin a little higher and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. She wouldn't let him intimidate her, she'd been made to feel like nothing her whole life, and he wouldn't make less of her.

"So it seems you do have a voice," what remnants of a smile that had graced his mouth were now gone. "Careful how you use it with me, _Kaz. _Don't forget, one wrong word and you'll be finding a new home with the factionless."

Eric's threat was spoken low, almost hushed but in the silence surrounding them now, she felt the words pull her from the foolish bravado she had been sporting.

"It-"

She cut herself off immediately, she had wanted to shrug nonchalantly and say it, wanted to watch his face morph into one of confusion as she uttered the words, _"It could be worse."_

Kazana was the first to break the stare as she glared down at the ground between them, there was not a great deal of it, she wondered if he was really that close or if her body was just more aware of him. She shouldn't have been surprised really; she had been trained to sense anything that could pose a serious threat to her.

Looking back up, she smiled sheepishly at him and twisted a lock of hair between her fingers. "You're absolutely right; please accept my apologies, Eric. I hope you will forgive me but I have a long training day ahead of me and it is essential that I get a full night's rest."

Had she been of any other faction, Eric would have had her out there and then on the grounds that she had mocked him but such nauseating displays were only to be expected from the Amity.

He stepped away then and free to go, Kaz made her way to move past him. Just as she began to get out of reach he grabbed her wrist, leaning in close to murmur "You can't hide behind walls forever Kaz." He dropped the wrist he was holding and took the carrot from her palm, taking a bite as he turned away and walked in the other direction.


	4. Her Choice

She Among Wolves

Chapter 4

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**Well this update came sooner than I had intended, I just couldn't keep the story off my mind! Do any other writers feel that? You become so immersed in that world it is hard to stop. That said thank you so much for the ongoing support and lovely reviews. I have a couple of questions to answer:**

**Guest: This is set one year after Tris passed initiation, she will come in to the story later. The Erudite plan has yet to commence. Divergents continue to be a taboo subject but not a main issue in this story.**

**Eric is appearing more bit by bit, you will understand after you read the end and I wouldn't call it a slow burner but the interactions will increase and intensify throughout the story, especially after this chapter. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, I don't even own a poncho, what's up with that?**_

_3 ½ years prior to Kaz's Initiation_

"One and Two and Three and Four, what have I said about tightening your core!" Cain chanted as he circled Kazana, a large staff in his hand which he used to bang the ground at a steady rhythm. Kazana growled and lunged forward with a sloppy punch to the jaw; Cain side stepped and used the staff to knock her off her feet and on to the hard cement. He chuckled, coming down to a crouch beside her.

"Wider stance and a strong stomach would have prevented that," he remarked coolly, scratching the piercing in his eyebrow which, without the facilities to clean it, was starting to pick up a nasty infection. "I'll tell you what would have prevented that, letting me fight like a normal person without all of this tribal stick banging rubbish!" Kazana snarled.

At 12 years old her body had barely begun to develop and the prospect of her leaving but a scratch on a fully grown Dauntless member was very unlikely nigh impossible. Cain simply smiled at her fondly, there was a spirit in this girl that spoke of great potential, she was capable of great strength if only she knew how to harness it. "This tribal stick banging rubbish is what enabled me to pass Stage One of my initiation with flying colours; you'd do well to remember that. Now close your eyes" his voice was calm but firm as he pulled her to her feet and began once more, to tap the ground to an even beat.

"Listen to the way your body reacts, can you feel how your movement is affected? Open your eyes." Kazana looked at Cain warily, her breathing had become calmer as she watched him circle her once more, and she began to copy his steps. They moved around each other, never looking away from their opponent, nothing could be heard but the rhythmic bang as staff hit cement. Her body moved before her mind could react, a quick jab to the solar plexus, Cain blocked and Kazana immediately followed it with a knife hand to the neck.

His eyes widened as he took a step back from her, his hands wrapped around his neck in shock he actually struggled to draw in breath for a few moments. Kazana's confident stance faltered instantly as she watched him withdraw, her brows furrowing when his face broke into a fantastic grin. "Now you've got it," he approved, his face hardened once more as he took up a ready position, stick in hand.

"Again."

* * *

_Present_

Harry was in the process of cramming the entirety of a banana muffin in his mouth when Kaz took her seat at the breakfast table. He looked back and forth between Kaz and Mia who just watched him in mild disgust before attempting to choke some of it back on to his plate.

"Are you actually trying to make me hurl!?" Mia asked incredulously, sipping daintily at a cold glass of fruit juice, she held it to her head and sighed in pleasure.

"Nasty hangover?" Kaz questioned, proceeding to fill her plate with a selection of hot foods. Mia just slammed her head onto the table in front and gave a sound of affirmation.

Harry's jaw dropped slightly as he watched the tower of pancakes on Kaz's plate grow until it hid a majority of her torso from view, picking up a bottle of maple syrup she squeezed until it crumpled beneath her fingers and simply gave him a blank look "What?"

He simply shook his head and reached for another muffin.

The bench almost toppled over as a considerable weight was thrown onto it, she looked up to see a tank staring down at her. Not literally a tank, Kaz recognized him to be another Candor transfer but his immense size made the previous notion just. She felt herself tense at his abrupt arrival, ready for a confrontation.

"'ello beautiful, Kaz is it?" he questioned lightly, plucking a single pancake from her stack and beaming at her.

Noticing the wary way she watched him he simply stared back as he chewed slowly, he scrunched his face up, bringing forth a prodigious double chin and squashed a finger against his nose creating a hideous pig like expression. A laugh bubbled up out of her, he simply held the expression until her shoulders shook with amusement and her stomach hurt from giggling.

He grinned as she tried to control herself, the shock of seeing someone so large and intimidating look so ridiculous had been too funny for her to ignore.

"Name's Wes," he announced proudly, holding out a hefty hand, she accepted it cautiously and he began to shake it about like a mad man, apparently his version of a formal greeting. Kaz decided that he was undoubtedly the strangest person she had ever met, and she loved it.

The training room was without a doubt a warrior's heaven, Kazana gazed around in wander as Peter led her and the other transfers down the narrow stairs, which groaned in protest as Wes leaped from one to the next beside her.

"Today all of you will be learning how to assemble and fire a gun, I don't want to have to wake you all up again so make sure you're up and ready by 8 every single morning without fail. We break for an hour's lunch at 12 and continue training until 6. Evenings can be spent however you wish just no leaving the compound, any questions?" he hissed the last part and looked around at the trembling forms staring back at him.

"Good. Let's begin."

Kaz looked around at the other initiates as they stared at the components before them, some looked excited, some confused but they were all stuck in to the task at hand. She made sure to watch the movements of those next to her closely, before assembling her own weapon at a snail pace. Cain has slammed a gun in to her hand when she was 14 years old, the power that it held had scared her and it took a long time for her to even summon the will to fire it.

Peter strolled up behind her and watched as she took another sneak peak at the Candor girl next to her, she had been the one to witness her friend die and though her progress with the gun was slow she went at it with frenzied determination

"If you are going to copy what the others are doing, you could at least find a better person than Fay, initiate" Peter remarked smarmily before finding someone else to critique. Kaz rolled her eyes as the girl, Fay, glared up at her and shifted to the side slightly in order to cover her work. Target practice couldn't have come sooner, as they all lined up in front of their own boards, weapons in hand.

It was at this precise moment, unbeknownst to Kazana, that Eric strode in to the room and found himself an ideal viewing point, leaning against the wall to watch the initiates work. Wes was the first to fire, unfazed by the recoil he managed to keep his stance wide and stable as he shot, the bullets barely grazed the edge of the target but his attempts were considerably better than the rest of the group who found they stumbled on each try.

Kaz stared down at her gun; she was supposed to be a girl who had grown up for 16 years surrounded by fields, flowers and trees, her life's purpose to live by peace and kindness. That being the case she continued to stare at her weapon a few moments longer in wide eyed wonder before raising her arms shakily towards the target. Peter, who had been watching the initiate's efforts with unveiled contempt, spotted Eric across the room and made his way over.

"Enjoying the spectacle?" Peter questioned with a snort, mimicking the movements of his boss, as they both watched from a distance. "How some of these people actually make it to this point, I don't know" he remarked as he saw Eric's gaze follow the clumsy movements of the Amity girl.

Eric looked at him then and pushed himself off the wall, walking around the arena so he could get a better view as Peter followed. "I wouldn't be so sure," Eric shrugged. "Something tells me she might surprise us" he smirked.

Taking slow breaths in, and out, Kaz tried to decide exactly where it is this exercise would get her on the table. She could fire each bullet into the centre of this target now and proceed on to the next task knowing that place was secured, or she could go on as she had been and allow herself to blend even further in to the crowd and embrace her Amity counterpart.

After the ordeal with Eric from the night before, she didn't want to risk drawing any more attention to herself, so she lifted the gun, and fired.

"Well I have to tell you Eric, I am surprised," Peter nodded slowly and barked out a laugh as he saw the Dauntless leader watch with narrowed eyes. "because that right there is _surprisingly _terrible." He laughed himself silly as Kazana pulled the trigger and fell right on to her arse, the bullet having hit a wall meters from her own target. Eric scowled at the display before him; he shot Peter a venomous look who sobered up instantly.

Sure that she had proven herself ridiculous and affirmed the expectations of her fellow transfers, Kaz stumbled on to her feet with the odd sensation that she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder and found Eric glowering at her from across The Pit, but before Kaz could even begin to decipher what had caused such a reaction he shook his head and stalked away.

* * *

"Why was Eric watching us train today do you think? I thought he was supposed to be overseeing the Dauntless borns." Mia sat speculating as the others started on lunch.

Wes, who had taken it upon himself to join their little gathering, stabbed his knife into the table causing a few of the other transfers further down the table to jump. "I'll tell you exactly what it is, he's spying. We are being conspired against. It's a dog eat dog world here now, and I for one won't take it." He took a smattering of tomato sauce from his place and smeared his cheeks like warrior paint.

Mia's mouth opened and closed a few times as she watched him in complete dismay. Smoothing back a few strands of her sleek blonde bob, she turned to Kaz who just watched the display in amusement as she built herself a burger tower.

"Oh great, I've joined the crazy group."

* * *

The second half of training that day proceeded in much the same way as the first for Kazana as she gazed at the punching bag before her. Her years of experience when fighting with Cain and Edward had been limited to the tools that surrounded her. Knives wielded from sharpened stone, sacks of discarded clothing were used to beat on. The facilities that surrounded her now were incredible and she couldn't even take full advantage, and she hated it.

If she continued to make a complete fool of herself it could damage her chances of passing, so she threw power into her punches and kicks but omitted any technique. Her approach had to have worked as Peter passed and watched for a moment before moving on. "More hip twist," he called after him and she did just that.

Growing up on the run meant that eating had to be a hasty affair, Kaz found this an old habit to quell as she finally came up for air after her meal, she drained the contents of her glass in seconds and looked up to Wes giving her a proud smile.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," he stated, sliding away his own plate. Kaz watched as Lisa swirled a piece of pasta around with her fork sadly, she had been the only one who had done worse than Kazana on her first day, and she hadn't been faking it.

"So you guys come from the same faction" Kaz offered weakly, addressing both Wes and Lisa. They looked up at each other and shrugged, it was unlikely that they had ever even spoken before their transfer.

"Which means you might be able to tell me who the others are?"

Lisa straightened and looked to the people around them wondering where to start.

"See the girl over there with the short red hair? That's Fay, I think she was dating the boy who fell from the train."

Kaz looked over at the girl who was staring off in to the distance, she noticed the stare and glared back. "The boy next to her is Jared, he's a timid one, good at listening though which has got him this far." Lisa's expression darkened as her eyes fell on to the last Candor at the far end of the table.

Kazana had rarely seen her look anything but impassive and followed her gaze to a boy with a shaven head and wicked sharp eyes, he had taken a seat with the other two Candor transfers but stared off in to the distance as they spoke.

"Solomon," Lisa sounded lost in a memory as she spoke his name, and by the look on her face, it was not a pleasant one.

"Satan's Incarnation," Wes corrected, however he did not look the least bit troubled by the boy's presence. He noted Kazana's confused look and explained.

"Sol lived a few streets down from me growing up, and he's always been a little messed up. I mean I'm always up for a good fight but Solomon lives off the pain of others. I feel sorry for whoever's up against him first," he thought about this for a moment and then added "unless it's me of course, in which case I'll kick his little ass."

Kaz had no doubt of this, she had yet to find out who the Abnegation girl was but knew it could wait.

Pushing away from the table she made her excuses to leave and found her way once again, exploring new passages in the Dauntless compound. Regarding her mental map, she found her way in to the residential area where most of the members lived.

Despite the detailed imagery that Cain had given her, he had never been able to find out where the leaders stayed and she thought it unlikely that she would make such a discovery on the first night. Her musings were interrupted then as she heard an ear piercing cry echo off the walls, people around her stopped in their tracks to see what had caused such a commotion.

"I'M NOT READY, I WON'T GO!" the voice screamed, Kazana craned her neck to see two cliffs joined by a large drawbridge, on which a woman was being hauled towards the exit above. Her face was contorted in to one of sheer terror as she dug her heels with all her might into the ground below but her efforts were to no avail as one of the guards back handed her across the face. The sharp impact of the blow snapped her head to the side and she fell silent then as they dragged her further along.

A younger woman clad in a loose black dress followed on with two small children by her side, they hid behind their mothers legs as she tried to shout to the guards. "Please! Please stop! You can't take her! Not yet!" The woman was crying now as a third guard held her back, heavy sobs wracked her body as she watched the men push her mother across the bridge and through the exit, the metal door slammed behind them.

Kazana watched as the younger woman clambered forward, her children ran after her, tripping over themselves to keep up. She banged on the metal door multiple times and more people were running up to stop her.

"YOU CAN'T TAKE HER!" she wailed, her voice heavy with grief. She repeated this over and over, rocking back and forth as her children looked on wide eyed and tearful. Kaz didn't need to see any more as Dauntless members on duty came to take the woman away, it was clear she would be punished for the public display.

Turning swiftly on her heel, she ran from the scene and didn't stop until she reached a pair of long winding train tracks leading away from the compound. The speed of her sprint had her leaning on her knees for support as she watched the train's outline approach, her chest heaved as she struggled to draw in breath.

Kaz tried to blink away the tears as the severity of what she had seen dawned on her. Those haunted faces that she had passed for so many years, always changing, abandoned and desolate, they'd had families.

With so much life still in them they were pulled from the world that they had tried so hard to build, away from the people that they loved and shoved out in to the cold with nothing more than the clothes on their back. How could she stay?

* * *

_3 years prior to Kaz's Initiation_

The remains of the fire were beginning to die out, soon it would be nothing more than a pile of ash and she would be made to face the night's wrath alone. 13 year old Kazana wrapped her arms tighter around her knees, watching as her breaths left her lips like wisps of smoke in the tangible chill.

A soft blanket was suddenly dropped onto her small shivering form, and she looked up over her shoulder gratefully at the woman who wrapped it around her and went to take a cross legged position by the fire.

"I have sent for more wood, it won't last us long but we have to make use of what we have." Evelyn fell silent after that, her eyes, too large in her hollowed face, stared into nothing as she lost herself in thought.

It was some time before she looked once more at Kazana, studying the young girl's face intently before deciding to speak. "If there were a way," she started, shifting closer to the young girl before continuing "to stop this…the way we are now, shunned from society, hiding in the shadows, would you want something to be done?"

The question was spoken gently, hushed, but there was something beneath that which belied the power of an idea.

"Of course," Kazana's reply was instant, but she couldn't fathom what Evelyn could possibly mean.

"I'd give anything to live in one of the Factions, I don't even care which one, I just want to-" she struggled for the words a moment "to…fit in, I suppose." She finished, peeking up at Evelyn whose face was marred with a worried frown.

"Kazana, there wouldn't be any Factions. I'm talking about starting again, in a world where we are all equal, you would have a place to call home, a full stomach, all of the books you could read." She finished the last part with a sly smile as she had caught the young girl many a time pouring over various pages from the Erudite's collection.

The concept seemed impossible to Kazana, who simply looked at the older woman in dismay. She'd always believed Evelyn to be a natural leader, her experience and wisdom having brought together many lost souls, the beginnings of a community.

"It could never work though" Kazana stuttered, worried she might offend the woman whose opinion she now clung on to more than anything.

"Factions are everything, they keep our society intact…the great war-" she began but Evelyn simply held up a hand.

"What you've read and everything you have heard is a well-constructed web of lies put in place so that nobody would question the injustice of our situation," Evelyn assured, watching as the younger girl's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"I have a plan on how we can change that Kazana, it'll take some years but people are already coming together to make a difference." She paused and took the girl's smaller hand in her own; Kazana looked up into the older woman's eyes which were now filled with a glittering sort of hope.

"When the time comes, I'm going to need you to help me make those changes. It isn't going to be easy but Kazana you are so strong." She brushed Kazana's cheek with a motherly sort of affection, "Do you think you can do that for me?"

* * *

_Present_

The train was hurtling full speed past her now; she stood frozen in place as her hair whipped around her head as the air rushed past her. She couldn't leave yet, this was the reason she had joined Dauntless. Seeing the anguish of those women today, they were just small examples of a much bigger picture and that was why she had said yes all of those years ago, why she had to go back and finish what she had started.

In the dark confines of the dauntless compound, a sleeping woman lay still on a vast mattress, a pair of stony grey eyes glanced down at her in irritation before staring up at the ceiling above. Deciding that he was in need of a little distraction, Eric had allowed the nameless girl with her long smooth legs, flirtatious eyes and tempting words to seduce him into a few moments of distraction. Unfortunately, that's all it had been, a few moments, before his mind again drifted to a face that was very unwelcome in his mind.

It wasn't attraction, of that he was absolutely sure. He had felt attraction before, strong and fleeting in its wake; he was no stranger to the sensation and had no problems succumbing to it. She intrigued him, the waif of a girl with the raven hair and curious dark eyes. Or at least she had, her performance in The Pit had been a complete embarrassment, on both hers and his behalf.

He had to remind himself to punish Peter for that later, lest he think he can run his mouth again, he was a Dauntless Leader after all. Having decided that the woman beside him had now overstayed her welcome, he shifted the sheets to rouse her. She looked up at him, a sleepy content smile on her face "Er-"

"Out," he spoke, his voice held neither sneer nor anger but it was clear in his tone that the matter was not up for debate. She gathered her things and left as swiftly as possible, a small teary sniff could be heard as she shut the door behind her. Alone with his thoughts, Eric knew he couldn't allow himself to be wrong.

He'd watched as she made her excuses to leave at dinner and there was no sight of her as he perused the halls later on that night, where was she running off to? There _was _something different about the girl, he saw a mere glimpse of it the night before as she tried to make her escape. Although her words spoke otherwise, he had rarely seen someone respond so powerfully to his touch. Her body was responsive even if her mind was not.

His eyes alight with a new idea as he find himself finally settle in to sleep, he was going to keep a closer watch from now on. He allowed himself to fall in to sleep, his dreams replete with midnight dusk eyes.


	5. Little Bat

Chapter 5

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._**  
**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent…**_**what no amusing comment about owning Eric or Four?**_** No immature voice in my head, I am over that now. **_

"It only burns for a few seconds, I swear!" Sophie begged with a large bottle of bleach clasped in one hand. She looked at Kaz imploringly, what was supposed to be a quick clothes trip had turned in to a very unwelcome makeover. "Absolutely not, that stuff doesn't come anywhere near my hair!" Kaz warned, backing away from the bottle and Sophie's hungry look.

She glanced desperately at the photos around her and grabbed one at random thrusting it in the pink haired girl's face. "That, I'll have that and we can leave it there, I have places to be."

Kaz marched over to a tall leather chair and sunk down in to it, staring at the mirror resolutely.

Sophie pursed her lips and considered the picture for a few moments before admitting defeat; she made her way over to the chair and rolled up her sleeves. The photo was of many that had been collected over the years as various Dauntless members posed with the latest hairstyles, tattoo's and piercings.

She winced as her hair was tugged and twisted into intricate braids, the end result left a majority of her thick pin straight locks flowing down to her hips, whilst a few choice pieces had been woven into dreads that gave her an altogether more wild look. Still unsatisfied, Sophie held up a black pencil in her hand, her lip wobbling as she gazed at Kaz hopefully. She rolled her eyes and nodded, "Fine, but make it quick".

She was alone with her thoughts as she gazed up at the ceiling whilst Sophie coloured in her waterline. One week had passed since the day Kazana fell in to the net and left her previous world behind. Despite the fact she was experiencing luxuries she had only ever dreamt about, her entire being brimmed with frustration as yet another day passed and what skills she had were locked away with great tenacity.

* * *

_4 days earlier_

"You've had three days to get accustomed with basic combat moves."

"It's time to put your practice to the test, I will be pairing you up at random and when it is your turn to fight you will enter the arena."

The quiet candor boy, Jared raised his hand tentatively to which Peter merely raised his eyebrow. "Surely not everyone fights each other, Fay's half the size of me I could-"

"Could what exactly? Get hurt? Did you think this was going to be easy?" Peter snorted and turned to address the entire group, his voice taking on a menacing edge. "When you all chose Dauntless you made the decision to become fearless, if you can't face your fears and fight, no matter the size of the opponent…" he directed his gaze to Jared who had now turned a sickly shade of grey, "then you don't belong here, simple as that. First fighters up."

Kaz turned to watch the first two fighters take to the arena, she could hear Fay address Jared behind her. "Next time you want to make a point, leave me out of it! Don't you dare make me look weak because of your own insecurities." The red haired girl's face almost matched her hair as she turned away from her supposed best friend and took to the ring. The fierce look on her face turned in to a smirk as she watched Harry take a ready fighting stance opposite her.

"Begin!" Peter barked and Fay immediately flew at the taller boy with a shriek, Harry looked alarmed as made her attack, hitting him square in the nose with her fist and proceeding to pummel him with fast but otherwise useless punches. The ex-Erudite looked around helplessly, his inner turmoil clear to the rest of the group as he watched the smaller girl waste away her energy.

Mia turned to Kaz with a clenched jaw and sighed impatiently before shouting out, "Do you want to get kicked out Harrison? Stop holding back and fight already!" Knowing the name would get a rise out of him, Kaz watched his eyes narrow as he sunk his fist into her jaw. Fay fell back with a cry holding her face in surprise, he seemed to back off then but defended her easily as she got back to her feet and continued her attack.

"Finish her." A voice spoke from behind Kazana, but it wasn't Peter, when had he got there? She turned to see Eric watching the fight with a bored look, his eyes flashed with a vicious sort of malice as he met her stared back for a few moments before glancing back at the arena. The boy hesitated; it took a few more jeers from Mia for him to knock the girl out with a clumsy but effective cross, hook and uppercut.

Mia turned to Jared who was staring at his friend's unconscious form with concern and slapped him on the back "point well made!" she grinned and followed the others out of the arena. It was as Kaz turned to leave that she caught the end of Peter's conversation.

"So it's not like I don't love your company but uh, I thought you were training the Dauntless borns?" Peter's voice was its usual whiny drawl but it had an undertone of fear there. Eric did not grace him with an answer as he simply quirked an eyebrow and swept out of the room.

The next few days carried on much in the same way, Kazana had settled in to a routine in which she made marginal improvements day by day but nothing impressive enough that it drew the other trainee's attentions. It bothered her though, that despite Peter's face being all she saw when she fired a gun, threw a punch, a kick, a knife, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

* * *

_Present_

Kazana knew she should have resisted Sophie's charms the minute she was dragged in to the tattoo parlour, she had lost track of time and found herself stumbling through half lit hallways and down narrow staircases to reach her dorm in which everyone had already found their beds after an exhausting day in the arena. She was stopped in her tracks when the walls began to shake.

Kaz immediately backed against a wall as she immersed herself in to the darkness, a defence mechanism that had served her well through the years. Shuffling along the cool rock she moved from one hall way to the next until the sound grew louder, a tremendous beat seemed to be echoing off the walls. It occurred to her then that she was hearing music, the foreign sound unnerved her but she found herself drawn to it. There was a steady rhythm, something akin to the sound of Cain's chants.

Finally finding herself at the source of the sound she saw a door, riddled with curiosity she went to sneak a look. Thick smoke winded its way up to her, inhaling deeply she was surprised to find it tasted like sweet crisp apples, a violet purple light illuminated the room as shouts of laughter reached her ears. Black clad bodies filled the area, squinting in the darkness she saw the face of the boy she'd humiliated on the train. The Dauntless Borns.

Backing out of the doorway, Kaz made to run from the scene but was blocked by a girl with electric green eyes, her blood red lips curled in to a smile as she pulled Kaz further in to the room. "Leaving so soon?" she whispered in her ear, the scent of sweet alcohol tainted her breath. Kaz stiffened as the girl pulled her into a throng of swaying bodies, all moving to the beat of the music. "I haven't seen you around before" she shouted over the music "I'm Vesper."

Her words caught the attention of the very person Kaz has been trying to avoid. "Oh I think we all know who you are Vesper" he laughed, his mirth cut short as he spotted the black eyed girl who stared back at him in discomfort. "You" He narrowed his eyes and taking a step forward, but before he could do anything Kaz had already fled from the room, her hair whipped behind her as she ran full speed out of the strange, intoxicating room.

It was only when she felt sure she wasn't being followed that Kaz stopped for breath, she could still hear the bass rumbling through the walls, but the halls were empty. Scouring the darkness with her hands, it became clear to her then that she was standing directly in the centre of The Pit.

Light began to fill the area; Kaz figured there must have been built in sensors which had picked up on her presence. There was something different about standing there without the pressure of Peter or the other transfers. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the ropes which hung from the ceilings a few floors up. It's empty, she mused, she wouldn't be long…10 minutes at most, just time to clear her head.

Tentatively, she made her way forward and relished the feel of the yarn rough against her palms. Slipping out of her shoes she began to climb with ease, only when she was at the very top did she make the decision to look down.

Her heart raced with adrenaline as she looked over at the arena, the place which filled the initiates with such a dark sense of dread, appeared just an insignificant nothing.

Locking her legs in to place she slid down, building speed as she dropped towards the floor but stopping before her head could hit the ground. She climbed up one more, this time listening to the beat which echoed off the huge stone walls. It wasn't something that could be taught, it was just a feeling as she swung carelessly from one rope another, twisting and turning as she went. She felt like a wild creature, driven by instinct as the music picked up pace, a chaotic dance.

She closed her eyes and savoured the moment, allowing herself to fall to the ground and only tightening her legs at the last second. A small victorious grin lit Kaz's face as she felt the dangerous rush that she had so been craving.

"Boo."

Her eyes snapped open then and she fell unceremoniously on to the ground, shuffling away on her backside to make as much distance between her and the culprit as possible.

"You know I was starting to worry there little bat." Eric stalked towards her with slow threatening steps, only stopping when she felt her back hit the wall behind her. "All week I've been watching and waiting for something, something that would make you break and prove me right."

Kaz could only stare up at him in shock as she tried to come to terms with the fact that he'd seen everything, "about what?" her voice was barely audible as she struggled to find her words. Her throat felt heavy with fear, fear that she had failed, fear of him.

Eric held out his hand to her, she accepted it cautiously and it felt rough, calloused in her own. He was deceptively gentle as he pulled her to a stand and she felt barely a moment's relief before he had her backed up against the wall. "That you're hiding something" he chided, his body was like solid brick against her own and she felt impossibly small as he watched her draw in panicked breaths.

Feigning indifference, Kaz straightened and simply raised an eyebrow at him. "What? Rope Climbing? I grew up around a lot of trees _Eric_. Is it really that hard to suss out?" she spat, looking away now to gather her thoughts; if she didn't look at him he couldn't see through her, he could believe the lie.

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look once more at him, his cold calculating eyes burned into her own and his face was alight with bitter amusement. "Oh really little bat, you don't actually expect me to believe that do you?"

She scowled at him and tried to break free from his hold but he simply held her there, his other hand resting on the wall beside her head. "How many times do I have to tell you my name is-"

His large palm covered her mouth, muffling any further words. "I've been wondering" he started, his voice had taken on a strange sort of excitement "is the name a lie too? Who trained you to climb like that… was it someone from Dauntless?" he questioned, his hand moved down now coming to graze the air beside her before stopping on the other side of the wall.

Blocked in by his thick muscled arms, Kazana felt like a caged animal as he looked down at her. "You're mad" she murmured, her entire body trembled uncontrollably and she hoped that he could not feel it, despite his proximity. "Please move out of my way" she pleaded, feeling angry at the lack of conviction her voice held.

His eyes dropped down the length of her neck, the slight curve of her waist, her hips, her thighs and up again. The arm by her head pulled away but she surprised herself when she did not move instantly, instead sidling out she backed away from him warily. She noticed how cold the room suddenly felt without him near. He pushed away from the wall and his face became once again the composed mask that she had seen on her first day.

"I expect you here at the same time tomorrow night" he said, cold and assured. Kaz just stared at him in open mouthed confusion; he gave no explanation before turning to walk away.

"and if I don't want to see you tomorrow night?!" she demanded shakily. He only stopped walking to look over at her for a moment before continuing, his small smirk didn't reach the hardness in his eyes.

"Oh I don't think I gave you a choice." Then he was gone.


	6. Failure

Chapter 6

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, but I have won the rights to Eric and he resides in my basement now…*sobs desperately* okay that's a lie too. **_

_10 years prior to initiation _

"A history of mart-ee-all arts," Kazana squinted at the words in confusion; two men in pristine white robes were pictured on the book in her hands, their bodies frozen in a high kick. Hidden in the alcove of two dusty bookshelves, her eyes darted around nervously for an oncoming presence. At 6 years old Kazana was already well aware of the consequences she would face were anyone to catch her sneaking around the Erudite Library unwarranted.

"I think you mean martial arts," a snotty voice sounded from above her and Kazana flew up in shock, the many books that had resided on her lap fell to the floor in a flurry of pages.

A young boy stood before her, he couldn't have been much older then she and yet he looked down at her with such bigoted disdain, it was clear they had nothing more than age to connect them.

"I have no idea what that is," Kazana sniffed, bending down to pick up the fallen items, to her surprise she felt a second pair of hands reaching over to assist. "Martial Arts were a collective group of combat styles used before the war" he answered, grinning slightly as he saw the startled look on her face, she probably hadn't understood a word he had said.

Kazana had to admit she was surprised by how well-spoken the young boy was, even for an Erudite but she wiped the shock from her face and glared at him. "Well aren't you going to rat me out? I'm not supposed to be here, you could call for those guards right now, they'd probably reward you," she spat.

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment, glancing behind him to see if anyone had spotted them, he passed the books back to her and continued on as if she hadn't said a word. "My favourite one is Ju-Jitsu, that one requires a lot of power apparently," the boy puffed up his chest and smirked down at her, Kazana simply raised a brow at him and flicked through the pages in front of her.

"Tai…Chi?" She read slowly and looked up at him questioningly, he nodded in response. "That's a girly style," he sneered, peering down as her eyes skimmed the words greedily.

"You just focus on breathing and thinking and stuff," he scrunched his nose up in distaste.

Kazana stopped her reading to study him with careful eyes.

"An Erudite who doesn't like thinking…," she mused, expecting him to grow angry at her words but he simply shrugged.

"Erudite born. That… that doesn't mean I belong here, I guess I don't really fit in." He seemed surprised at his own admission.

Before Kazana had a chance to response his expression hardened, straightening he took all of the books out from her grasp, but one. "Keep it…you probably need it more than we do," he muttered, walking swiftly out from the alcove, careful not to draw too much attention.

Kazana stared after him for just a few more moments before sneaking out from her hiding place, having crept out of the headquarters unnoticed she broke in to a sprint and only stopped when she smelt the familiar stench of 'home'.

Allowing her legs to cave in, she slumped against the wall and held the book with shaky hands. _'Translating to 'ultimate supreme fist' T'ai Chi Ch'uan is just one of the many styles that made up Chinese Martial Arts' _her fingers traced the various images that accompanied the words, men and women alike were all dressed identically and moved in a way that was both graceful and deadly at the same time. It wasn't until she saw the words blur in front of her, that Kazana realized she was crying. The boy would never realize it, but he had given Kazana her first ever gift.

* * *

_Present day_

"Is this a sick joke?" Fay cried, her eye swelled shut from the beating she had received days previously. Peter stopped writing on the chalk board in front of him and threw Fay a sharp look.

"Does it sound like I am joking?" he sneered, writing down the last name and underlining the chart, a painful screech sounded as chalk met slate.

"There are three stages to initiation, after each stage the lowest ranking members will be cut. Is that clear enough for you, or do you need me to spell it out for you?"

Fay opened her mouth as if to argue but thought better of it. Kazana had known this would happen before she had even entered the compound; it was a good thing then that the shock from the previous night had failed to go away, leaving her with the same slack jawed; empty eyed expression the rest of the initiates seemed to be sporting.

"How many?" A small voice piped up, Kaz recognized it to be the small abnegation girl who had barely spoken two words since their arrival.

"Well there are 9 of you and 11 Dauntless Borns, 6 people will be cut after stage one and then only ten will make it through initiation" Peter chuckled as he watched the realization dawn on the recent transfer's faces. He picked up a white bottle; the words appeared to have faded with time.

"What? Scared?" he taunted, taking a place in front of Mia who stared up at him with stubborn wide eyes. "If that's the case then you might as well leave now? You're all Dauntless now, so you better start acting like it."

Peter began to walk steadily past each initiate, placing a small dot of white liquid in to each one of their hands. None dared to question him as he placed the bottle he was holding back on to the table and turned to them.

"You'll have noticed that we Dauntless aren't too keen on the conventional way of travel, nobody just sees a wall they like and starts climbing it, it takes upper body strength. There are four ropes here, what you have in your hands is liquid chalk to keep your grip. Get started."

The initiates paired up without a second thought, naturally Harry stuck with Mia and Kazana took her side by Lisa, but she could only watch with a bemused face as Solomon sauntered up to the petite abnegation girl.

His face not one of distaste as she might have expected from a former candor but keen interest, their eyes never left each other as he placed his hands on the rope in front of him. The girl seemed to feel Kazana watching as she lifted her eyes from Solomon's and stared back, the look in her eyes was vacant but a small smile seemed to touch her lips.

Kazana could not help but feel disturbed by the display as she turned to watch Lisa's attempts to pull herself upwards.

"Back again?"

Peter's question pulled Kaz out of her reverie as she craned her neck to see an unwanted presence walk in. She looked back around swiftly, trying to push Lisa's feet upwards as the girl struggled to even cling to the rope.

"You'd best hope that's not disdain I heard in your voice," Eric bit back, allowing his stony eyes to scan the room slowly before landing on the raven haired girl standing to the side.

Leaving The Pit the previous night, Eric had been filled with an anticipatory sense of adrenaline. He had suspected for some time that she was hiding something but never had he thought she would possess such hidden talents.

Part of him felt irritated that she should be weak enough to fall so low during the crucial ranking process. It was the greedier side of him however, the hungrier, possessive side of him, that felt satisfied he should be the only one to know of her secret.

She had looked so lost in herself as she danced on the ropes night before, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before and the thought that someone else, another man might see that same tantalizing display, angered him for reasons he knew not why.

"I think you've proven your point Candor, you have much finesse as a monkey on stilts" Eric drawled, strolling over to watch as Lisa slid unceremoniously on to her head, landing in a flump on the floor. It was only when she met the piercing glare of the Dauntless leader that she shuffled to her feet, backing away as Kaz took hold of the rope once more.

Kazana could feel his unruly stare burning in to her but she made absolute sure never to look away from the wall in front. _'If you don't look at him, he won't affect you' _she assured herself, repeating the words in her mind as she hooked the rope loosely under right foot. It was as Kazana tried to embrace the movements of a complete beginner that he finally spoke.

"Well don't you put on a good show" Eric smirked as Kaz pulled herself up a couple of paces before sliding back down to the floor.

"The question is why are you doing it? Why hide it?" he made sure not to get too close lest the other initiates, or that oaf of a trainer, get suspicious.

It was difficult however; as he took delight in the way she swallowed nervously, her attempts to look away from him becoming all the more studious.

"I have no idea what you mean" Kazana sniffed, bending down to retrieve a towel that lay at her feet and wiping the sweat from her hands in sharp rough motions.

Eric blanched a little at the sight, a blurry sort of image had been conjured up at her dismissal but he shook it from his mind and took the current opportunity to take a step closer.

Straightening back up, Kazana felt herself come face to chest with the man she had been trying so hard to avoid.

"Are we really going to play this game?" he rolled his eyes and continued

"Is the rope thing the only secret of yours or is that just a small part of a much bigger picture?" he enquired, his voice a low murmur and it looked to others like nothing more than a typical word of warning on Eric's part.

Kazana turned back to the rope, gripping the yarn so tightly she felt relief in the burn as it took her mind away from more pressing matters, such as the man beside her.

"It's nothing, I told you, I climbed a lot of trees as a child, you have seen what I am like at everything else I will be lucky if I even pass the first round of initiations," Kazana snapped, and for the first time she actually believed that to be a possibility.

He took a step away from and watched the others try their hand at the assigned task, his words however were meant only for her.

"I know when I'm on to something initiate," he drew out every last syllable.

"You have your first fight today, and unless you pull something out of the bag soon, you might just prove yourself right."

Eric left her then to watch the progress of the other initiates, never once looking back for the rest of the session.

* * *

Kazana had just begun to drown her worries in the plate of burgers before her when the strong scent of Smokey apples and jasmine filled her senses. The girl from the previous night, Vesper, had come to take a seat opposite her, her electric green eyes were no less vibrant in the dim light of the food hall. It was clear now to Kazana why the girl's hair had been indistinguishable before as it was the same shocking violet colour the lights had been.

"You disappeared quite suddenly last night," her voice had a natural husk to it that made her entire image effortlessly sultry. Vesper bit into an apple, blood red lips staining the waxy green surface.

"I'm surprised you remember you were so off your face," a new voice piped up and Kazana recognized it as the boy she had tried to avoid at the party_. _

_Are these guys joined at the hip or something? _Kazana debated whether to just take her food and run.

"She's right though," he added, taking a seat beside Vesper and staring at Kaz with an unreadable expression "I didn't even get a chance to talk to you."

Vesper snorted and flexed her fingers until there was an uncomfortable crack.

"Well duh Turf, she did humiliate you in front of everyone, I don't think I'd stick around with you either,"she grinned and looked down at Kazana who was watching the exchange with wary eyes.

"Good job by the way", she winked.

Turf pursed his lips and began to pile food on the plate before him, glancing up only when Wes's huge form slammed down on to the bench beside Kazana.

"Rope Climbing, Check. What did Eric want then you saucy little-"

His words cut off when he looked up at the purple haired girl sat before him, his jaw hung open and Kazana smiled to herself at what a slapstick character he was.

Vesper simply looked back at him with an arched brow, reaching out with a perfectly manicured nail to close him mouth. A loud clearing of the throat brought everyone's attention to Turf, all but Wes who was unable to keep his eyes off the bright eyed beauty in front of him.

"Can't I enjoy one meal without people gawking over my sister," he muttered, taking a vicious bite of his bread roll and shooting a glare in Wes' direction.

Vesper simply drummed her fingers on to her chin and sighed contentedly.

"We are having another party in the dorms tonight," she announced, looking directly at Kazana

"'I'd like you, come to it."

"Not tonight…," she looked around in search of inspiration when her eyes landed on the dark haired Candor, "No guarantees I will even be capable of walking after today," she jested but allowed her voice to shake a little earning pitying looks from those around her.

Kazana wanted to snort, to assure them that everything would be fine but after the warning Eric had given her earlier she knew it was more important than ever not to draw attention to herself, especially against the most vicious of initiates.

Lunch continued on in much the same way as usual except Kazana now found herself waving goodbye to the unusual pair that had strolled in to her life with the same spontaneity as all of her other new found friends.

It was as Kaz went to walk in to the training area for the second time that day that she felt a small hand grip her wrist, she looked down to see Mia's mouth open and close a few moments.

"Kaz, listen, you know I'm glad to have you as a friend don't you?"

Kaz smiled at her and went to stop the girl, she didn't need a pity speech.

"I don't want that to end…but you and I both know your chances aren't looking good right now and when it comes down to it" she swallowed and steeled in her resolve.

"I can't let you drag me down with you." Mia finished, walking away to join Harry at the side of the ring.

Kaz had to admit herself surprised at how forthright Mia had been, but none of them could really afford to fall behind and she knew that. That did not stop the small pang of hurt that she had felt at her friend's words.

Jared and Wes were the first to fight; it was a sad sight to say the least. It was evident that though he cut some fierce punches, Wes was not aware of his own strength and what had clearly been intended as a block, ended up creating a sickening crack as Jared fell to his knees with a pained cry.

"I'm done, I'm done…I ca-" his eyes rolled in to the back of his head as he fainted on to the floor.

Mia and the Abnegation girl, who Kazana now understood went by the name of Bernie, were next. It was a long drawn duel, where Mia was cool and calculating; Bernie was frenzied in her movements as she threw all of her force into fast impassioned hits.

Mia managed to anticipate each punch without a problem but her calm demeanour disappeared when her head snapped to the side with the impact of Bernie's hand, she went to head dive at the girl with an enraged cry but nobody expected Bernie to grab Mia's head, thumbs deep in to her eye sockets and shove her knee with extreme force in to the former Erudite's face.

Mia fell to the floor; her shoulders shaking as tears streamed down her face, blood coated the ground, flowing from her nose like a fountain. "Take her to the infirmary," Peter barked at Harry who was viciously gnawing his nails, he nodded and went to haul Mia up by her armpits.

"They're not finished," Eric's authoritarian tone rung out through the open space. He went to take a place next to the younger trainer, removing the overcoat he had been wearing to reveal large taut muscles and throwing it at the foot of the ring.

Peter gaped at him and seemed to be struggling with himself before speaking out

"I'm their trainer! Me! I decide when they are finished!" Peter spat, his face reddening with anger.

Eric reached up with hand and circled the ring in his lip a couple of times before turning to the man next to him, his expression was care free, but his eyes held a heavy threat.

"As far as I was aware, I am a leader here at Dauntless, I decide who goes, who stays, and when a fight is done."

His voice lowered still and Kazana was just barely in hearing range to catch his next words.

"I'd make use of what time to have left here, Four's little trip is coming to an end, and who do you think is going to take your place when he returns?"

The confident curl in Peter's lips fell as he watched Eric with fearful eyes; he simply nodded and gestured to Bernie to continue. Mia, who was curled in to a ball cradling her nose, put up no fight as Bernie began to kick her repeatedly in the ribs, the stomach, and finally with one last stomp to the head, she was out cold. Nobody but Kazana noticed the way Solomon's eyes shone with pride at the sight.

"Kaz. Solomon. You're up," Peter snapped, the two initiates took their place in the ring and fell in to a ready stance. Kazana watched the way his right hand wavered slightly with each step he took forward, his left knee was weak and bent inwards with each jab he sent towards her, and his eyes would follow every move he made instead of focusing on her, the target.

When he went to scratch at her face, she would grab his wrist and twist until she heard the snapping of bone. When he kicked at her with all of his force she would target his weaker leg, his knee crumpling under him from the impact. Then she would finish him.

She would.

But she couldn't.

Eric only looked away from the ring for a moment to see the initiates watching the fight without a hint of surprise. To be sure, they all looked horrified as Solomon's nails ripped in to Kaz's skin, bloody trails marring her cheek. They winced as he knotted his fist in to her hair and wrenched her downwards so he could thrust his boot in to her face, over and over again, but it was the fight that everyone had been expecting.

Kazana was being beaten to a pulp and Eric could only watch the exchange with indifference, though inside he was trembling with rage. She had made a fool of him, he had convinced himself that she was special, something different, but no one in their right mind would allow themselves to be slaughtered the way Kazana was being now. This meant he'd been wrong; she was just another weak, insignificant transfer with a penchant for climbing.

Every muscle in Kaz's body ached as she fell to the ground once more, staring up at the wild eyed boy standing above her, his mouth twisted in a sadistic smile. _"Roll to the left, trip him, elbow to each kidney, chokehold." _

The thoughts came naturally to Kazana as she watched each mistake he made and decided on what her reaction would have been. Deciding that she had taken quite enough of a beating she allowed her head to bang on the floor behind her, closing her eyes and letting her body slump in defeat.

Different pairs of hands were on her body all at once ready to lift her when a sharp voice stopped them.

"That's it for today initiates, leave her, I'll do it."

Kazana wanted to protest but she was supposed to be unconscious and could only scream inwardly as whoever had been holding her let go and the footfall got quieter, leaving nobody in The Pit but she and him.

His arms enclosed her carefully and Kazana was surprised by how gently he held her as he made his way to the infirmary. She moved not a muscle whilst playing a dead weight in his strong hold, allowing her head to lull on to his shoulder lazily, breathing in the scent of smoked oak and sweat.

It was only when her body was deposited on a soft mattress with a sudden thump that she heard him speak.

"Rankings go up tomorrow; I don't need to tell you where you'll be," he looked down at Kaz unsurprised as her eyes fluttered open, she watched him impassively as he spoke.

"Don't bother coming tonight, I was under the impression you were…" he took in a sharp breath and continued "I expected more of you, but after today it is clear that I was wrong."

He turned on his heel and walked out of the infirmary, almost knocking a trembling Lisa to the ground as she approached. Kazana watched him go with wide eyes. She had succeeded in diverting Eric's attentions elsewhere but in doing so she had almost destroyed her chances at passing initiation, the mission was failing.

Lisa took a seat on the edge of Kaz's bed, biting her lip in a nervous manner that did not suit her in the slightest.

"So, you'll be leaving us soon then" the words were barely audible, and Kazana knew they were not meant out of unkindness but an admission of truth that came so naturally to the former Candor.

Kaz's eyes drifted to the small hand mirror that was perched on the shelf beside her, blood was dried on to her face, outlining the ragged canals in her cheeks where Solomon had gauged her skin. Her lip had been bust open and one eye was beginning to swell shut in much the same way Fay's was.

If things were continue on the way they had, she would fail initiation before she could gather any real information from Dauntless headquarters. Everything she had spent years workings towards would be over and the dream of freedom that had spurred her on for so long would remain so, a fantasy.

Kazana smiled at Lisa and lifted her chin, wiping away a drop of blood that had begun to weep from the corner of her eye.

"I'm not going anywhere."


	7. Chi

Chapter 7

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, but if I did I'd probably have enough money to buy Jai Courtney…so that's a nice thought.**_

_2 months prior to initiation _

Kazana's body did not belong to her, or at least that is how she currently felt. Her intestines were cruel unyielding chains, her stomach had sharp fangs that tore at its own flesh with relentless vigour. How could this be her body when it attacked her day and night? An almighty growl echoed from within, driven by starvation, a cannibal.

She hugged her body even tighter, hoping to squeeze out the hunger. Kazana had just managed to preserve enough energy earlier that day to train with Cain before he'd dismissed her after she stumbled back with the force of his blows, wretching bitter acid on to the ground. She envisioned herself as a great machine, spluttering forward and trying to fight the fatigue as the fuel left her, bone dry and empty.

Cocooning herself in a ragged shirt, she relished in her inability to smell, to taste, to feel, as her head throbbed angrily, it meant the putrid smell of the worn cotton could not disturb the dreams she so craved.

"Is she alright?" a timid voice asked, Kazana was too exhausted to find the presence of someone new alarming.

"Of course not," Evelyn bit back to the unknown girl.

"She is starving and dehydrated, we all are here, but with the increase of training…I just hope she can last till initiation."

Kazana just barely summoned the energy to open her eyes a fraction, a pair of stormy blue eyes stared back at her, etched with worry and concern.

The girl entwined her hand in Kazana's, softly stroking the skeletal fingers that she found there.

"She's a fighter; we'll make sure she sees it through."

* * *

_Present day_

5am had Kazana squinting with bleary eyes at the sunlight which streamed through the only window in the compound. She had been kept in the infirmary overnight due to the possibility of internal bleeding, the results had come back clear much to her relief. Lifting her arms up over her head, Kaz savoured the clicks of her jointsas she stretched her body as far as it would go, unable to contain a satisfied moan as her achy muscles sort relief in the simple movement.

Rolling off the soft mattress, she stripped off the gown that had been thrust upon her the previous evening. Her clothes lay folded on the chair beside her and Kazana noted that the nurses must have laundered the attire which had been ridden with blood and sweat.

She slipped the trousers on without a second thought, but frowned when they stopped short at mid-thigh. Kazana tugged again but was unable to pull them any higher, waddling over to the full length mirror on the other side of the ward she gasped as two weeks finally caught up with her.

Where the bones in her hips has been sickeningly prominent, they now looked altogether softer. Her eyes, although black and blue from the beating, no longer appeared sunken in her face, just wide and curious. Although more progress had to be made before Kazana was anywhere near a healthy frame, everything looked fuller, stronger.

Reluctant to waste the early hours, Kaz stepped out of the trousers hastily and ran from the infirmary with her hospital gown whipping around her legs. Had she not been fuelled by crazed excitement she might have considered the possibility of someone catching her in such a state. It was only when she heard distant voices bounce off the walls around her that she came to a panicked halt.

"Their training starts at 8, as usual. As to which one of you wants to join Peter with the transfers, that is entirely up to you."

Max's smooth baritone followed her ears as she squeezed in to a tight opening at the entrance of the dormitories.

"With all due respect sir, I think we both ought to look over the transfers. I myself work better with them and as it is Tris' first year she will need some assistance in the matter," the voice belonged to a young man, but his tone spoke of experience far beyond his years.

"Impossible I'm afraid, Peter has been overseeing their training so far, and to move him now would only be detrimental to their progress," Max assured, a murmuring of voices followed as the young man conversed with the female who Kazana decided must be Tris.

"I will work with Peter then, Four will help Eric and Lauren with the Dauntless Borns and we'll take it from there."

Tris sounded so calm, so sure, nobody would guess that she had been a initiate herself only a year prior to the conversation.

"Three trainers is highly unusual for one group, I understand however that Eric has more pressing matters to attend to at current. I will speak with him about withdrawing from the Dauntless Born's training and overseeing both groups instead."

Max's words were met with hums of agreement and the tell-tale sound of retreating footsteps beckoned Kaz out of hiding before he spoke again.

"The trip went well I presume? Did you both make progress?" he asked, his voice hushed yet demanding.

Kazana peaked her head out in time to see the young man Four standing in front of Tris in an almost protective stance, he was everything Edward had described to her but he seemed more stern, more troubled than the image in her head.

"It did, but we will save the details for when we are in a more private setting," Four confirmed, they exchanged nods and went their separate ways.

Kaz took the opportunity to pad in to the dormitories, relieved by the sound of soft snores as she went to pick up the larger clothes Sophie had given her on her first day.

Discarding the gown on her bed, Kazana attempted to loosely braid her long knotted hair whilst hurrying down to The Pit. She had to admit herself surprised at what a ghost town the compound became in the early hours, but as protectors of the city, it made sense that a majority of Dauntless members should be night owls.

If there was one thing Kazana believed was neglected in the training sessions, it was an efficient warm up. She ran around the entire expanse of the area, picking up speed as she went, allowing the burn in her thighs and the racing of her heart to signal her on to the stretch.

"_In order to become a proficient fighter, you must first know yourself. You must find your inner strength, otherwise referred to as your 'Chi'" _

One deep breath in. Kazana allowed her bare feet to slide along the cold cement until she was in a wide side split. One deep breath out. She walked her hands forward until her body was flat against the floor. One deep breath in. She pulled her legs together and in to a crouch, slowly lifting her body in to a handstand. One deep breath out. Kazana lowered her legs and arched her back in to a deep bend, a contortion that had taken years of practice.

Her routine continued on for another hour and a half, two weeks without stretching had her body moaning in protest. Despite the initial discomfort, Kazana felt revitalized, efficient nutrition and a steady sleeping pattern made her stronger than she'd ever been before.

What doubts had plagued her mind the previous night were exhaled out in to the cool morning air as Kaz slowly opened her eyes and ushered herself out of a cross legged stance. A meditation pose she had picked up from all her years of studying.

"Impressive."

Vesper's husky tone called from the entrance above, the tall girl sauntered down the steps and came to peer down at Kazana with a curious smile.

"I heard about the fight, the others were asking after you. It's time for breakfast come on" her luminescent violet waves swung with each step as she walked away and Kazana followed after quickly, grabbing her jacket from a nearby target.

"How long were you standing there?" Kazana asked, irritated that she hadn't sensed another initiate; she had been trained better than that.

Vesper threw a smirk over her shoulder as they turned the corner in to the food hall. "Long enough," she replied cryptically, taking her usual seat beside Turf who was engrossed in his meal.

Having missed dinner the night before due to her injuries, Kaz had no hesitations in piling her plate up with pancakes and topping them with assorted meats.

Shovelling the food in to her mouth she looked up to see Four and Tris entering the hall, various members greeted them with slaps on the back and a few hugs. Her eyes drifted away from the couple to the man storming in after them, his entire body tense as if ready to spring at any moment.

The dauntless leaders, trainers and other high ranking members were all seated at the same table which was a rare occurrence. Kazana guessed this must mean they had important business to discuss, business she had to get in on.

Eric seated himself as far away from the two new trainers as possible, he looked up and his scowl deepened when he caught her stare. Kazana felt her face heat up unwillingly as he watched her from tables away; he looked away from her suddenly as if her very presence was a hindrance to him.

"Sweet, sweet girl! You have returned to me once more!" Wes cried as he sat himself beside Kazana and wrapped his face in her hair. Kaz grinned and pushed him away, trying to ignore the overwhelming sense of belonging that she got from in such moments. It was weakness, and she couldn't afford to be weak.

Wes' dopey smile dropped when he met Vesper's stare, and Kaz could not help but find similarities between he and herself. To be caught so off guard by the presence of another, for your very sense of being to disappear just by one look, she was only glad that the one person who could affect her like this was no longer interested.

"Well look who finally crawled out of hiding," Kazana looked up to find Solomon sneering down at her, Bernie was situated just behind, smiling up at him adoringly.

"I'd have thought you'd have more sense, after the thrashing I gave you yesterday," he was met with stony silence as Kaz watched him unblinkingly.

His arrogant demeanour seemed to falter slightly as he received no response, unnerved by her unyielding stare he turned instead to the timid candor by her side.

"Ready to join your friend amongst the factionless?" he questioned Lisa with a cruel smirk "You two will make a great c-" his next words were cut off as Wes pushed back from the table, the bench scraped along the floor moving every initiate with it.

Standing to his full height he looked down at Solomon, large and menacing. "I think it's time you leave the ladies alone," he spoke calmly, Vesper leaned forward and watched the exchange, her eyes alight as the tension in the air was tangible.

Solomon swallowed loudly, his faced had paled slightly but he refused to look away. He simply backed off a few steps and took a seat in his usual place with Bernie trailing on behind him. Wes continued to watch him for a few moments before sitting down, his own thoughts so distracted he failed to notice the pair of electric green eyes that gazed at him with newfound respect.

* * *

8am had the transfers making their way down to The Pit, a hand on Kazana's shoulder stopped her from going any further but the tell-tale scent of smoky jasmine alerted her to Vesper's presence. The girl picked up her wrist, and kissed the inside of it, pale skin marred with the blood red stain. "Give them hell" Vesper whispered before winking at her and flouncing off to join the Dauntless borns.

"Initiates!" Peter announced dramatically as they all filed down the stairs and came to stand in front of the chalk board facing away from them. Beside him stood Tris, small but very much aware of her power, her face impassive as she scanned the group. Kazana couldn't be sure, but she felt that the young woman's eyes lingered on her for a little longer than was required and she hoped this was due to nothing more than that bruises on her face.

"You are half way through your training, I am joined here today by someone who will be helping me to decide your fate" Kazana did not miss the way he phrased this, Peter was not one to relinquish what little power he had. "I have here your current rankings, and know now that once you have a place on the board it is _very_ difficult to move" his eyes drifted to Kazana and he smirked, turning the board around slowly to face the group.

1 Wes

2 Solomon

3 Bernie

4 Harry

5 Jared

6 Mia

7 Fay

8 Lisa

9 Kaz

She knew this would happen, Kazana knew exactly what to expect, but that did not stop the feeling of dread that churned in her stomach as she stared at her name in last place. Her eyes did not leave the board in front; she did not want to acknowledge the sad glances the other initiates gave her.

"Well that settles that" Peter clapped his hands together and beckoned for Tris to bring forward a new board. She did so with haste, her lips pursed in distaste at Peter's demands.

"We cannot access the armoury until later on today so fights will be first thing," protesting whines called out and Peter glared at the culprits as he dragged the board out of Tris' grasp.

"Any more complaining and you can all stay behind to scrub the floors tonight, is that clear?" he spat, and was met with assenting silence.

Bernie vs Jared

Fay vs Lisa

Mia vs Harry

Wes vs Kazana

What little composure Kazana had, left when she saw who she was paired against. She had wanted to make an exhibition, to prove her strength to the trainers and her fellow initiates; she was just sorry it had to be against Wes.

It was not fear that had her frowning at her large as life friend, but sadness that he would be the one to experience her wrath.

He caught her gaze and moved to catch her hand in his, his eyes spoke the words he could not voice, _"I'll take it easy on you." _

Kazana shook her head at him, her voice lost as the group made their way to the ring. Everyone stripped off their outer layers and the first pair made their way on to the platform.

Bernie seemed to take a leaf out of Solomon's book as she bit, scratched and tore her way to victory, leaving Jared blood soaked and shaking. Kaz did not miss the way Tris watched the fight with undisguised horror, the girl had been formerly abnegation after all.

Relief washed over Kazana as Lisa managed to land a few solid punches in to Fay's stomach, leaving the stubborn candor panting on the ground. It didn't take a lot for her to concede and the win would gain her friend some points, even if it wasn't enough to save her from exile.

The fight between the two Erudites was tense to say the least, two best friends battling each other for success. Harry's common sense seemed to kick in after the rankings had made it clear nobody was safe, Mia was knocked to the ground in a matter of minutes, choking and spluttering from a particularly vicious knife hand.

She stared up at her friend in betrayal; the word 'karma' seemed to come to mind as Kazana watched the exchange of looks.

It took Kazana a few moments to realize that everyone was staring at her now; even Peter did not say a word as Wes took to the ring and waited patiently for his opponent to join him. Sweet, Simple Wes, he didn't have a bad bone in his body and it wasn't fair that things had to happen this way. Kaz gazed down at her wrist which still bore the sticky red gloss of Vesper's kiss, 'but life isn't fair' she decided, climbing up to join her friend.

Wes was the first to move, he threw himself at her, big and brutish it would wind her in an instant. She did not step away but instead moved towards him at a similar pace, grabbing him by both shoulders she lifted herself at lightning speed, escaping his grasp and using his surprise to her advantage as she flipped herself round in the air and landed with a spinning back kick to his solar plexus.

Ignoring the gasps that surrounded her, Kazana wasted no time in sliding across the floor and under his legs. Wes turned to face her but did not foresee her attack as she jumped up on to his shoulders, her thighs tightening around his neck. Using her core, she wrenched herself to the side sending him toppling over on to his back, he groaned as his head smacked on to the ground. Wes attempted to grab her then whilst she was in close proximity but she simply rolled backwards off him, she took hold of his ankle and the movement seemed to catch everyone off guard including himself as she pressed deeply in to his Achilles heel.

She squeezed, he roared out in pain and toppled forward to stop her. To those watching everything seemed to happen in a flash, but to Kazana it was a lifetime, she counted. The banging of the staff, the rhythmic sound fuelled her every movement.

One, he bent forward, she head dived over his back and rolled, landing in a crouch to face him, her eyes sharp and dangerous. Two, he stomped down with his foot, ready to clobber her, Kaz pulled out the big guns and arched out of the crouch, back flipping to safety. Three, they stood facing each other, his chest heaved and his breath came out in large gruff pants, he drew back his elbow and sent a fierce punch to her face.

Four, she deflected the punch with her left arm and in what seemed to be a millisecond, a fraction of time, a single heartbeat, she twisted her body away from him and threw her leg up in to a complete split. Kazana's foot hit him directly in the temple, and in a moment the platform shook with the impact, as Wes' body hit the floor.

Not a sound followed, Kaz looked up and around at her fellow initiates. Each and every one of them stared up at her in a mixture of awe and confusion but each expression held the same question, _"Who are you." _

Taking the initiative, Kazana began to drag Wes' lifeless body off the platform and in to the crowd. Peter's mouth continued to open and close like a fish out of water, Tris was the first to move forward to help; grabbing the huge boy's other arm she smiled over at Kaz warmly. Kazana could not return the look as she stared down at her friend, a dead weight in her arms, she felt like she had attacked an innocent puppy.

Tris let go of the young man and turned to face the initiates, having decided that Peter would not be much use for a good while.

"Right, that's it for now. Break for lunch and we'll meet back here in half an hour," she looked over at her fellow trainer and noted the way the initiates continue to stare at Kazana like she was a foreign creature.

"Make that an hour."

* * *

Eric was not happy. Following the infuriating events of the previous day he had been approached by Max that morning and told to take a break from training the initiates. He would be called in to oversee their progress on the odd occasion but now that the wonderboy was back his services were no longer required.

Stabbing his fork in to the steak on his place he began to saw at the meat viciously with his knife, all the while never taking his eyes off the man who'd returned to replace him.

Lunch could not have come sooner as he had been stuck in meeting after meeting since dawn, the endless contracts and tiresome discussions had Eric wondering why he had taken the leadership role in the first place. If he had wanted to be stuck in boardrooms each day he would have chosen Erudite, God damn it!

Eric rolled his eyes as the Stiff's expression melted in to a ridiculous smile as Tris took a seat opposite him; this left him in perfect earshot for the conversation that followed.

"I'll bet you a week's worth of Dauntless cake your morning was not quite as interesting as mine" Tris teased, leaning over to pinch a cherry tomato from Tobias' plate.

Tobias quirked a brow and leaned in to her,

"No bet in the world would have me risking my share of Dauntless Cake, what happened?" Eric continued to rip in to his food but managed to tune out the voices of other members to catch her next words.

"Kaz happened," Tris declared, her voiced lilted with amusement.

Had Eric not been so eager to hear her account of the morning, he might have questioned why Tris and Tobias were so well aware of the girl, having only arrived that morning.

Tobias simply nodded for her to continue and Tris leaned in a little closer to do so.

"She was paired against number one today an-" her next words were lost when a group of Dauntless born initiates ran in to the hall, laughing and shouting they made their way straight to Kazana's table.

"THERE SHE IS! THE DARK HORSE HERSELF!" Eric heard the girl with violet hair cry, slapping Kaz on the back and grinning.

"EVERYONE STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING, WE GOT A BADASS OVER HERE!" another boy with a tall red Mohican shouted, his hands framing his mouth to amplify his words.

Eric leaned in to the man to his right, Tris has begun to whisper directly into Tobias' ear and he knew they would not be any more use for information.

"Tate, is there a reason your brother is screaming the roof off the place" he drawled, though his eyes never left the raven haired girl who was staring intently at her food, her brows furrowed in displeasure.

Tate was watching the display with a grin.

"You really don't know Eric, man?" He called over the excited mutters that were echoing off the walls.

"Would I have you asked that question if I did?" Eric grit out, his tedious morning and the ceaseless caws of the other dauntless members had his patience thinning. Tate did not seem bothered by the man's irritation and simply flashed him a row of pearly white teeth, nodding his head over to the girl that Eric was already staring down with burning intent.

"The Amity chick took out number one today, he's in the infirmary at the moment but that boy is built like a _tank!"_ Tate guffawed and took a bite out of his chicken, spraying food everywhere as he continued on excitedly.

"We're talking flying back kicks, flips, she actually knocked him out cold with one hit!" Another dauntless member at their table seemed to catch on to the conversation and began to chatter eagerly with Tate about the fight.

Kazana knew her victory would not be a quiet affair, but she didn't think word would get around quite as fast as it did. People she had never spoken to her in her life were congratulating her, embracing her, some had even challenged her to leisurely fights which she politely declined. She tried to eat her lunch with haste, eager to get over to the infirmary and see how Wes was doing before training continued.

Drowning out the voices of her fellow initiates, Kaz felt her body crawl with awareness as she looked up and met a pair of ashen eyes. Despite the commotion around her, Kazana felt in that moment as if everyone in the room had melted away leaving nothing but her and the man who watched her not with the disgust she had seen earlier that morning, but with what could only be described as hunger.

Eric looked at her in those few heartbeats like a large cat who had found his next meal; his eyes appeared almost as black as hers as they watched each other, their gazes never faltering. With nothing left to hide, Kazana straightened in her seat and raised a single brow,

_Happy now?_

He leaned forward in his seat nostrils flaring ever so slightly, his rough hands spread wider on the table in front, his long fingers clawed in to the table as he saw the challenge in her eyes. Narrowing his own, he allowed a slow predatory smile to curve his lips.

_Little Bat, you have no idea._


	8. Intoxication

Chapter 8

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, and it pains me. *Throws Divergent at a wall then sobs and scrambles to retrieve it apologetically* **_

Kazana watched Wes' chest rise and fall with deep content breaths, she envisioned him to be chasing cats or cars excitedly in the dream world. It was highly unlikely that her kick, though very powerful, would knock him out in to the following hour.

After fighting his way to the very top, Wes had pushed himself to physical exhaustion and Kaz guessed he was taking full advantage of the sweet rest the infirmary allowed him. Deciding that he was strong enough to fight another day, Kaz crept away from his snores and hoped she would be received in good spirits on her return.

The Pit welcomed her with silence as she watched her fellow initiates stop their excitable chatter and stare at her openly, this was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. A heavy sense of dread followed Kazana to her spot beside Lisa, her skin prickled at the memory of grey eyes boring in to her and she began to question whether her dramatic display had been a grave mistake.

Peter and Tris appeared at the entrance above, their bodies weighed down by large black bags, beckoning with a swift hand motion, they led the way to a secure unit where 9 targets were lined up.

Thick glass panels separated the initiates as they came to stand shoulders feet apart in front of their chosen board, a hard plastic box was slid across the floor towards Kazana. Peter's eyes lingered on her, a mixture of suspicion and intrigue in his expression before he moved on to the brown haired boy beside her.

Kaz kept her gaze locked on the door for a few moments longer, satisfied that no impending leaders would be watching her, she cringed as a sharp screech sounded. Solomon stood in the next booth along, his nail dragged along the glass deliberately slow as he stared her down with a bitter smile.

The material that separated them was impenetrable but his venom laced voiced reached Kazana easily.

"Fancy show you put on back there." The tone was meant to intimidate her, not blinking once as he put his lips to the glass, his heavy breaths left clouded imprints with each word.

"Too bad it didn't come in handy with me, how's the face?" he smirked gesturing to the gashes along her cheek.

Kazana knelt down and opened up the box to reveal the components within, recognizing it to be a Beretta. Never once taking her eyes off the boy who glared down at her with amused disdain, she assembled the weapon with quick familiarity, clicking the magazine in to place and rising slowly.

Food and Shelter had been difficult to find when she was factionless, but firearms were near on impossible. The first year and a half of her training had taken place without touching a single one, but after Cain and Edward had taken on the dangerous task of ambushing some of the guards on night duty, it had been a critical addition to her regime.

Kaz raised her arm smoothly; clicking off the safety she gave Solomon a wicked smile and fired three shots at the target in front of her. She did not have to look to know they had reached the centre and in those fleeting moments, Kazana felt it was worth giving everything away just to see the smug grin fall from his face.

* * *

"Okay third time's the charm, you cannot deny me now!" Vesper pleaded, twirling a purple lock around her finger. Kazana slid her plate away and revelled in the full sensation that still felt like new, rolling her eyes as she was fixed with an emerald stare.

"Not tonight, I saw quite enough the first time," Kaz groaned, the determined Dauntless born had been trying to get her to attend another party for three days straight.

Vesper's eyes narrowed with the challenge, her ruby red lips pressed in to a thin line as she tried to work out a new tactic. The bench shook with the familiar weight of Wes' bear like form; he did not bother to grab a plate as he pulled the platter of chicken drumsticks towards him, winking at Kazana as he bit in to the food. Two days had passed since the fight and he hadn't spoken one word about it, pressing a hefty palm to her mouth as she had ran in to the infirmary rambling apologies.

Kaz choked as the overwhelming scent of Vesper's perfume invaded her nose, the girl had squeezed in between her and the huge candor, unaware of the red hot blush that reddened Wes' face as she did.

"Now listen here little madam," Vesper poked a long fingernail in to Kazana's chest lightly, painted in the same alarming shade as her lips.

"A little birdy told me that the Dauntless leaders and other high ranking officials will be otherwise engaged tonight, meaning this may possibly be our only chance to go wild. Now are you in or are you out?"

Valuable information would be shared at that meeting and Kazana had been given the perfect alibi, she nodded her head slowly as if digesting the offer.

"I'm in."

* * *

Sub-zero temperatures felt akin to a thousand sharp blades again Eric's face as he stood ready and poised at the open train door. It was a sensation he knew too well, and a snarl ripped through him as one of the newly trained guards lost his balance on a particularly rough bump and fell straight in to the Dauntless leader.

Pulling him roughly to his feet, Eric gave the boy a warning glare before launching himself off the cart and on to hard cement, without looking back to see if his men had all made it he propelled himself off the roof ledge and rolled along the safety net in one swift motion.

Ripping away the bulletproof vest and outer layers that had weighed him down for the past 48 hours, he charged through the crooked hallways and along the uneven grounds of the dauntless compound, paying no attention to the men and women who backed out of his way in the process.

"Ah Eric you made it!" Max clapped his hands together and gestured to a seat beside himself and Tori, they were seated at the head of a long wide table which was littered with papers.

Shutting the door firmly behind him, Eric stalked over to the appointed chair and watched as two men dressed in similar layers to the ones he had been sporting took a guarded position by the entrance.

"You all know why you are here," Tori began, her voice soft but commanding as every head turned to listen. "Every day our system faces a growing threat from those without order, the Factionless are beginning to cause problems. It's crucial that we find a way to reason with them-" her words were cut off as Max gave a derivative snort.

"Reason with them? There is no reasoning with the Factionless. We are here to find a way to stop them. Eric, if you care to tell the others what you and your men have found out these past two days?"

Max leaned back in his chair and stared expectantly at the younger leader.

Kazana watched the hostile looks exchanged between the two men and decided that there must be an unspoken hierarchy between the three leaders.

The conference room was vast, guards were stationed at every corner and heavy duty bolts insured no intruders could listen in.

Kaz was thankful for once of her sinewy limbs as she lay deadly quiet in the narrow air vent that looked down on the room, giving her an ideal vantage point.

Eric did not speak for a few moments and instead waited patiently for the other members to give him their undivided attention, it was imperative to him that he maintain control despite Max's attempts to belittle him. Irritation flared up as he met Four's expectant gaze, one of the few people who could not be intimidated by Eric, he stood up to his full size and addressed the group.

"My men and I met with the guards who are currently stationed where a majority of the Factionless reside, to their knowledge; they remain as useless and subdued as ever." Kazana bristled in anger at the words, but kept her palm firmly over her mouth, silent breaths tickling her fingers as she watched him work the room with a commanding tone.

"It was only when we took residence in one of the warehouses that we noticed a difference, many of them I recognized to be ex-dauntless but the ring leader has yet to be found. We have reason to believe they are receiving help from Faction members".

"Which Faction?" Tori asked, her brows furrowed.

"All of them," Eric answered.

"They have access to resources that can't just be found on the street, food, weapons, books, this is a lot bigger than we initially thought."

One of the men who worked in the armoury looked agitated and addressed Eric openly.

"Why didn't you just stop them when you had the chance? Shoot the perpetrators and move on?" Murmurs of agreement followed as the table broke in to discussion.

"Just kill them all now, there are too many of them anyway," one voice piped up angrily.

"No just show them who is boss, scare them a little," an older woman suggested, her eyes narrowing at the thought.

Kazana listened to their crows in horror as their ideas became more extreme, their violent nature coming to a head as they shouted in vain. In an attempt to shuffle forward and get a clearer view, her boot became wedged in a miniature gap in the vent, she cursed inwardly and tried to free herself before they heard.

Eric slammed his hand on the table and the noise came to an immediate halt, he fixed them all with a cold glare.

"Killing them solves nothing, scare tactics will not work at this stage. I've seen them interact; they are smarter than you think. Our next step is to organize a meeting with Jeanine Matthews and Jack Kang to see if we can get access to the truth ser-"

He stopped abruptly when a loud thud sounded from somewhere above, a metallic bang that could only have come from inside the room.

Kazana's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. In trying to free her shoe from the steel prison, she had jerked her foot violently and attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Her breaths came in hot nervous pants as she tried to sidle backwards out of the vent on her stomach, the tell-tale wall behind her alerted her to the sudden drop.

Kaz hung for a few moments from the vent and landed with bent knees on the ground just outside the conference room. Breaking in to a sprint, she heard the door opening behind her and pumped her arms faster, her legs burning with the effort.

Eric wasted no time in storming out of the room; the guards fell behind as he ran full speed down the dauntless halls. Whoever had been listening in, they must have been of a very small stature, and very fast too apparently, he noted as he rounded a corner.

There was a sharp squeal as Kaz's boot scraped across the cement, turning on the balls of her feet in to another room. Heavy bass music took her by surprise as she was met with flashing strobe lights and swaying bodies. Moving hastily in to the crowd, Kazana removed the elastic from her hair and allowed it to flow down her back; she rubbed vigorously at her eyes, smudging the black ink.

With a furious growl, Eric threw himself in to the throng of bodies that the intruder must have immersed themselves in. His tall stature allowing him to look over the heads of other members and initiates alike, in such a chaotic surrounding he had no idea what to look for and knew it was of no use to search now.

Running his hand through his cropped hair, Eric snatched a bottle out of the hands of some faceless dancer.

"HEY!" she complained, but stopped short when she saw just who it was she'd been addressing.

Eric took a swig of the bitter substance and sunk in to one of the armchairs that resided in the corner, it was no use returning to the meeting now, everyone would be on edge knowing that a mysterious eavesdropper had heard every word.

Making an attempt to blend in, Kazana began to mix a concoction of spirits together, her mind whirring with the information she had just heard, she berated herself for having been so careless. Throwing her head back she downed the mixture in one gulp and winced as the vile liquid burned her throat, she wondered why the other factionless had clung to these bottles like it was their saving grace.

A very suggestive, very drunk Vesper sauntered up to where Kazana currently had her head ducked down by the drinks table.

"Well heellllooooo there stranger, fancy seeing you here," she slurred, a small hiccup followed her words and had Kaz not been so on edge after her near escape, she might have laughed at her friend's unusual state.

"I think someone needs to sit down," Kazana smiled grimly and allowed Vesper to lean on her as they neared an empty chair, the taller girl fell in to the seat with a graceless thump, her head lolling on the head rest and eyes fluttering shut.

Eric took advantage of his position in the shadows to observe the lithe creature who had plagued many of his waking thoughts over the past few days. Even on duty he had found his mind wondering repeatedly to that moment in the hall, when her eyes had met his, so fierce and full of challenge.

She sighed heavily and lay back on to his arm rest, unaware that her every move was being followed by his amused gaze.

His eyes roamed down her relaxed form, it was the most at ease he had ever seen her, head tilted back to reveal a long milky expanse of neck. Her body looked fuller then it had that first night in the kitchens, the muscles in her shoulders and arms were more pronounced and yet still feminine, a small waist flared out in to pronounced hips.

Kaz sunk further in to the arm rest, her head leaning on the wall behind as she stretched contently. Her black vest rode up with the motion and against his better judgement Eric felt his hand graze the soft skin there. He had been certain her eyes would fly open in surprise, and that she would jerk away from him then and seek the safety of her dorm, but she did not.

Unusual warmth seemed to spread through Kazana's body as she relaxed, half sitting, and half lying across the armrest beside her violet haired friend. Everything seemed to be lighter, more relaxed around her as the music and voices faded in to a distant hum.

She was suddenly aware of a roughened hand stroking down her waist, the familiar scent of smoked oak filled her senses and she was reminded of the fleeting fires that had warmed her during those lonely nights on the streets.

Instead of leaning away from the touch as was her main instinct, she found herself seeking more. With eyes still closed she turned her head and breathed in the heady masculine scent, Kaz sunk lower still until she had sidled in to a small nook in the arm chair, her small shivering body now pressed against a warm solid one.

Eric watched with halted breath as Kazana slipped gracefully in to the space beside him, the arm which had been outstretched now secured her against him. Her head fell back against his chest and she listened for a few moments to the gentle thrum of his heart before skimming her nose against a chiselled jaw. She took him by surprise as she relaxed in to him, her face buried in the warm expanse of skin between his jaw and collarbone.

Kazana was all too aware to whom it was she was now curled up against, nobody could feel as rock solid as he did, no one radiated the warm earthy scent that he did, and no one made her feel body feel quite as alive and electric as Eric did.

It was of course due to her earlier indulgence that she found herself now submitting to these sensations rather than fighting them but such thoughts did not occur to her as she traced her hand gently down the skin tight material of his black shirt, exploring the hard contours she found there.

Noting how Kaz had still not once opened her eyes, Eric used his free hand to trail across her jaw, turning her head so he could observe her more closely.

Her long black lashes dusted the white almost purplish skin beneath her eyes, a strong regal nose led down to full, crooked lips. Such imperfections had never been more desirable, as she opened her eyes slowly to gaze up at him.

Despite the delicious numbness that had taken hold of Kazana's body, she still felt her heart race with nerves as she opened her eyes to look at him. Her breath caught in her throat as she met his obsidian black gaze, shadowed eyes bore in to her with open lust and it was paralyzing.

Her stare faltered for a moment as she became aware of his lips, dangerously close to her own. Eric followed this movement and noted the way her tongue darted out teasingly to wet her own lips, her hot shaky breaths fell against his jaw and the tension was unbearable and tantalizing all at once.

Sliding his hand more possessively across her jaw and in to her soft hair, he held her firmly there and she offered no resistance as he pulled her closer to him. It was in that moment, as the inevitable feel of his lips ghosted over hers that they were ripped away from each other by the piercing wail of an alarm.

Kazana jerked away from Eric's embrace and fell unceremoniously on to the floor; the impact of the cold stone was sobering as the walls echoed with noise. All music had been halted and the bodies that had swayed and swaggered under the intoxicating lights were now evacuating the room in a chaotic frenzy.

The spell was broken for Eric as he watched the party come undone, one of the other two leaders must have sounded the alarm in an attempt to find the rat.

_The rat, _he remembered, that was why he was there wasn't it and the little bat had distracted him. He watched as she scrambled to her feet and backed away from him, their eyes locked in a moment of perplexity. She had caught him off guard, made him _weak_. He rose from his seat and pushed past her roughly, heading for the exit, he had no time for distractions.

He would not let this happen again.


	9. Punishment

Chapter 9

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent. *shakes fist angrily at the sky* **_

_8 years prior to initiation _

A pained whimper escaped Kazana's lips as a clammy palm was pressed to her mouth, a wiry arm kept her firmly in a low crouch. Sleek silver cars raced past her in flash, sadistic grins pasted on the faces of the men who hung carelessly out of the windows.

"Stop struggling" the man who held her hissed, his breath tinged with the poisonous odour Kazana had become so accustomed to. "They'll hear you!" frightened tears streamed down her face as gunshots sounded in the distance, some wailed at the sound, and some just stood blank faced and waited. Waited for their fate.

The official term was purification, the day in which a select number of dauntless members would drive out with their weapons and cut down on the ever growing number of factionless that dirtied the streets.

Tucked in her usual reading spot, she had been unable to stifle her screams when the first gunshot sounded and was pulled away by the man who currently held now. Though gaunt himself he had no trouble in containing her, begging silently with his eyes that she remain quiet for the both of them.

Her muffled wails came to a halt when the next congregation of cars sped past, her wide eyes too big, too haunted for her childlike face, met the narrow glare of a young woman clad in the typical black attire of a dauntless member.

"We got one back there!" she called out, and Kazana felt the arms around her loosen as the older man took off in the other direction _"hide!"_ he cried out over his shoulder before disappearing in to the shadows.

The screeching of wheels had Kazana bolting in to action, taking off down the empty streets of the factionless residence. Manic laughs barely reached her ears as her heart pounded in frenzy; the desperate pleas of those she recognized echoed from roads away, it was an orchestra of misery.

"YEEEEEEE HAAAAAAA!" screamed the driver as he reversed carelessly in to the dustbins she'd once used as refuge, and accelerated towards her.

"RUN RABBIT RUN!" the woman cackled, squinting in to the setting sun and firing two bullets at the tiny girl.

Adrenaline pumped through Kazana's veins but she feared it would not be enough, tears blurred her vision and she felt her bare foot twist inwards on the unforgiving gravel. The laughs increased at her struggle as she crawled forwards on her bloodied knees, sheer desolation brought begs for mercy to the tip of her tongue.

The car squealed to a halt and the slamming of doors alerted Kazana to their oncoming presence, chunky boots scraped against the rough surface beneath them. She rolled on to her back to watch them charge forward, a malicious glint lit the eyes of three faces, two men and a woman advanced towards her like excited hyenas.

It was only as they came closed that Kazana noticed one of them was exceptionally young, 13 maybe 14 which made him a dauntless born, he was the first to reach her and took no trouble in pushing the heel of his boot in to her grazed cheek.

The pressure increased as he knelt down in to the press, his eyes were a sweet baby blue and they glittered with glee when Kazana stared back up at him defiantly, her trembling form betrayed her fear.

"She's all yours, Slo" the woman cooed, dropping her gun and looking down at the boy with a motherly sort of affection. He grinned up at her and reached for the weapon, his grip was clumsy and weak when he held it to Kazana's head, but that did not make her any less afraid.

"Any last words?" he taunted, digging the metal in to her temple. His proximity was enough that flecks of spit fell on to her nose when he spoke, his breath sweet from the dessert that would have been so graciously dished out to him back at the dauntless compound.

Kazana cleared her throat timidly and leaned in to him, she gazed up at him with such pathetic longing that he was not prepared for the feel of her teeth when they ripped in to his cheek. Kazana did not think, did not question when she sunk her jaws in to the boys smooth flesh; she simply held on with vicious tenacity and jerked her head back violently.

He flew backwards with an excruciated howl, blood poured from his face in streams but Kazana took no notice as she shuffled away on her backside and took off in to a sprint.

"I'LL GET YOU, YOU LITTLE FUCKING BITCH!" he screamed at her, his voice hoarse with exertion.

"I'LL FUCKING DESTROY YOU!"

_Present day_

Any traces of alcohol that had numbed Kaz's mind had long gone as she weaved through the panicked bodies of her fellow initiates. All members were headed in the same direction, the alarm could be heard in every section of the compound but it where the noise was at its peak that everyone came to a stop.

Eventually not a single voice could be heard over the ear-splitting wail, the three dauntless members stood sombre faced before a monstrous speaker. Eric stood looking at the crowd with stern countenance, reaching over to punch the button beside him so all became silent.

Max was the first to make a move as he strolled forward with his hands clasped behind his back.

"You have all been called here tonight because there is a traitor in our midst."

Excited murmurs followed as the impact of his words sunk in but were halted instantly as he held up a steady hand.

"Though we know not all the details, we have reason to believe that there is to be an uprising."

Max's words rung out to the men and women in their hundreds who clung to his every word.

"There are people in this city, our city, who want nothing more than to watch it be run down to the ground. Those who are too _weak _to belong, those who have failed to succeed, to thrive and now want _you-"_ he gestured with one long sweep to the swarm of black before him "_you_, the strong, the brave, the fearless, to give in to their demands!"

Cries of outrage followed his words and Kazana felt herself being knocked repeatedly in to fervent bodies, straining forward in order to be heard.

The dauntless leader's voice rose as he continued to speak bringing again silence.

"These people, these…traitors, would see this faction burn among the flames in which it was forged. So I ask you...WILL WE STAND FOR IT?!" his voice bellowed furiously and Kazana could barely recognize the people she had come to know so well, with as their faces twisted in anger.

"NO!"

"I SAID WILL WE STAND FOR IT?!"

"NO! HELL NO!"

Kazana only hoped that in their animalistic excitement, the others would not see beyond her false cheers.

"We stick together!…but just know that not everyone is who they seem, I want you all vigilant. That is all for tonight, I will leave you with that." He turned then and retreated back in to the leaders headquarters, leaving behind disarray.

Dragging herself back to the deserted dormitories, Kazana was barely aware of the eager voices around her as she went. She had gathered valuable information that would serve the mission well, but had now made things ten times more difficult as everyone would be on their guard.

Uneasiness surrounded Kaz like a dark cloud and sleep could not be more welcome as she sunk in to her soft mattress. Evelyn would have to hear about this, and soon.

"Rise and shine, tuna brine!" Wes sung cheerfully directly into Kazana's ear as he brought a fluffed pillow above his head and brought it down with vigour. Her hand shot up in a moment, with eyes still closed as she deflected the playful hit.

"Nice try, apple pie" she laughed, pushing herself out of the bed and grabbing the underwear that Wes was dangling in front of her face cheekily.

Incidentally, apple pie was dished out generously along the tables as Kazana took her usual seat across from Vesper and Dale. Figuring this was a tactic to sweeten the members up; she found the thought soured her taste for it and reached instead for a large bowl of oatmeal.

"Stop right there…traitor" a cold voice halted her hand and Kaz felt her heart drop as she looked up to Dale glaring at her. The table was deadly quiet as the others paused to watch the interaction, suddenly his face broke out in to a grin and Wes' face was sprayed with apple as Dale laughed.

"Gotcha! What a load of rubbish anyway, seriously that man could tell everyone to take off their pants and wear them like rabbit ears and we'd all do it."

Kazana couldn't help but beam at him as she saw a new side to the boy she'd tried to avoid for so long, he was a lot smarter than anyone gave him credit for. Breakfast continued on in silence before Vesper dropped her cutlery with a loud clatter and grabbed the napkin from her lap, reaching over she dabbed at Wes' face until all traces of food were gone.

"What?" she growled, noticing the way everyone looked at her with cocked brows. It was easy to envision the husky voiced girl beating a fellow initiate to a pulp or polishing off shot after shot of straight vodka, but such small displays of affection was something Kazana had never seen in her before.

The bearlike boy said nothing as he dug in to his food, but the remnants of a blush stayed on his face all the way to The Pit, where an array of knives were waiting for them. Peter stumbled in to the training room 10 minutes later than usual, holding an icepack to his head he slumped down by the wall and sneered as the initiates looked at him expectantly.

"Get on with it then!" He spat.

Kazana was the last to select her blades, weighing them in her hands, she was just beginning to take her stance when Tris appeared on the stairs.

"You're _late_" Peter snapped, Tris simply gave him an indignant look and came to stand beside Lisa who was facing the target head on and seemed to be aiming for the ground.

"They're working with knives today" Peter groaned, massaging his head with the icepack. Tris rolled her eyes and moved Lisa's arms and legs to make the throw more affective.

"Why don't you come up then Peter, I understand you're quite the _killer_ with a knife" she quipped.

Kazana smiled to herself as Peter bristled in anger and came to stand behind her. "Partied a little too hard last night I guess, not that you'd know anything about that huh, _Stiff_".

Tris refused to give him the satisfaction of replying, turning to walk up the stairs she addressed the initiates. "I'm going to get more supplies, keep practicing."

Peter turned his attention to Kazana.

"Well don't just stand there! Go!"

Angling herself so that she stood diagonally on from the target, Kaz drew back her arm and prepared for the throw but was cut off once more by a screech coming from further down the line.

"Get off me!" Mia cried, her short hair wrapped tightly in Solomon's fist as he bore down on her, her back to the target.

"You think you can smart talk me and get away with it?!" he punctuated his words with a sharp tug of her hair, she whined at the motion.

"That's enough" Peter drawled, leaning against the target and watching the display with disinterest.

Solomon wilfully ignored him as he slammed a fist next to Mia's head making her jump. She whimpered and her eyes darted around the group, a silent plea for help.

"I'll show you crazy, you brown nosing piece of-" the hand he had raised was pinned in an instant to the target by the edge of his sleeve. A single blade continued to tremble with the impact of the hit and a small trickle of blood slid to the floor where his wrist had just been nicked.

"Don't you touch her" Kaz snarled. Her body still tense from the force of her throw, she straightened up and walked calmly over to where Solomon stood staring at her. His grip loosened enough for Mia to slide out from under him and back up into Jared's open arms.

Pulling the blade from the target in one swift motion, Kazana decided to take one more chance in wiping the surface of the knife across Solomon's bare shoulder, smearing it with his blood.

An amused chuckle sounded from behind her as Peter came to slap Kaz on the back, "you're a fast learner amity, you'll fit in here." The smile fell from his face when he saw the state of Solomon's wrist.

"But that right there was an unauthorized attack, and I can't just let that go unpunished. See Max after training and he'll sort you out." Rolling his eyes as Solomon continued to stand there clutching his wrist and shaking. "Go get that cleaned up."

Tris returned soon after that, oblivious to everything that had just taken place and began to lay the table with more knives.

"Everyone take 5 steps back. I want to see you throw long distance."

Kazana's body was slick with sweat by the time they were dismissed for dinner but she found the thought of being at Max's mercy put a stop to her appetite and decided to head straight to him before attempting to stomach something.

A timid voice stopped her halfway up the stairs, and Kazana found it sounded entirely unfitting coming from Mia's mouth.

"Thank you" she mumbled.

Unable to think of a reply, Kaz could only nod in response and carried on up out of The Pit. The petite girl followed behind and she could hear the cogs working in her head like a true Erudite.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you" Mia confessed, running a little to keep up with Kazana's long strides.

"It's fine" Kazana was nearing the Dauntless leaders headquarters when she realized Mia wasn't going to leave. "You just said what everyone was thinking, I forgive you. Now you have to go before anyone catches you here."

Mia nodded eagerly and lingered for a moment before heading off in the other direction.

Nearing Max's office, Kaz heard raised voices from within the room and found what little determination she'd had flee when she recognized just whose it was.

"I will not waste my time babysitting whilst we are at risk of a war!" Eric's voice was verging on a yell and there was a muffled bang as his fist made contact with the wall.

"You said yourself you wanted to train the initiates; I thought you'd appreciate this" Max replied.

"The point is that you are asking me to waste my free time t-"

Having heard quite enough, Kazana raised her hand and tentatively knocked on the door. It was thrown open in an instant by a very enraged Eric; he looked ready to bite the head off whoever had dared to interrupt his conversation but his mouth snapped shut when he saw who it was.

"Ah speak of the devil, Kaz is it? I've heard a lot about you. Please come in." Max beckoned to a seat before him, the glass of his desk was invisible underneath the plans and diagrams that covered it.

Treading carefully over to the seat, she tried to sink naturally in to it and found unwanted memories of the night before plague her mind as she looked up at Max's confident smile. The persona of a leader, it made her queasy for some inexplicable reason.

"It's rare here to have an initiate come in to training and make a name for themselves before stage 1 is even over, and an amity transfer no less!" Max chuckled warmly, she forced a smile in return.

"Imagine my surprise then when I heard that you are currently the lowest ranking initiate!" he clapped his hands together and did not look in the least bit bothered by the statement.

Kaz found herself confused at his brash words, was humiliation to be her punishment?

"This is true…sir?"

"Max" he corrected.

"Right, Max. This is true, but I am making improvements…I hope to rank higher by the end of stage 1" she finished calmly, hoping he would buy in to her story.

"Oh no doubt you are! But with potential such as yours, to waste it would be a crime!"

Kazana's eyes narrowed, _'Oh you'd know all about that'._

"That's why Eric will be helping you train nights" Max finished.

The words took a few moments to sink in, and it took a few moments more for her to even formulate a reply.

_She became aware of his lips, dangerously close to her own._

"I…I was under the impression I'd be mopping floors Sir."

"Max" he corrected again and laughed "I'm afraid mopping isn't one of Eric's forte's, but there a great deal others thing he could help you with."

_The tension was unbearable and tantalizing all at once. _

"I really don't think that's necessary, I am doing just fine on my own" Kazana assured, a derisive snort sounded from behind her and she turned to see Eric leaning against the now closed door.

His entire stance seemed relaxed but the muscle in his jaw twitched as he looked down at her coldly, stony grey eyes scrutinized her in a way that much differed from the previous night.

_She offered no resistance as he pulled her closer to him._

"Are you deaf? Or just stupid? You're ranking last initiate. You can pull all of the fancy kicks you like but unless I'm impressed, you can say goodbye to stage 2." He smirked as she gaped at him.

"Is that a threat?" Kazana bit out, forgetful for a moment that she was under the watchful glare of two dauntless leaders.

"It's a fact, and I suggest you take a more respectful tone with me if I'm to be training you for the next 12 days." He warned, eyes glinting dangerously.

Kazana wanted to snort, to wipe that righteous look from his face and challenge him right there, but it wouldn't do. Instead she gave a single nod, which was enough for Max who slammed his hands on the table eagerly.

"Fantastic! You'll be a great asset to us Kaz. Now if you excuse me I have a lot of work to get on with. Eric you'll see her out won't you?" He flapped his hand towards the exit and punched random digits in to an elaborate touchscreen in preparation for a private call, signalling that the conversation was quite over.

Eager to flee the room and put as much distance between herself and the dauntless leaders as possible, Kazana rose swiftly from her chair and moved through the open door. A solid form kept her from advancing any further as the hand that held the door lifted and it shut behind her with a bang.

It had come to the point where Eric was in her personal space more often than not, so she was surprised when he stood at least two paces away from her. His face set in its usual impassive expression.

"I expect you ready for training at 8.30 every evening, without fail. Is that clear?" His voice held no emotion and contained a rough quality to it. Kazana cursed herself for the way her body responded to the sound.

"Crystal."

_The inevitable feel of his lips ghosted over hers._

The space between them only served to enhance the memory of what had occurred only hours before. He did not move straight away, she held his stare as a question seemed to hang in the air around them. _What happens now?_

Eric gave his answer by turning away and walking further in to the leader's quarters. Leaving Kaz to breathe a sigh of relief, she was happy that the previous night had meant nothing. She was.

Heading down in to the food hall to join the others, Kazana tried to fight the gnawing irritation that he had dismissed all that had occurred between them with such…_ease!_

So consumed was Kazana, by thoughts of him that she failed to acknowledge Max's words until her body was engulfed in cool bed sheets.

'_You'll be a great asset to us'._

**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think, I like to think it is all coming together now and I have such great plans for these two. I know I always say that but oh my goodness, It's going to be H.O.T. What did you think of the purification scene? Eric's coldness? Anything you have to say would be so helpful to me **** Next update soon! **


	10. Raw

Chapter 10

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**Here it is! The next update! I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for everyone who has reviewed/followed/favourited this story. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, BUT I do own the fight sequences in this story so FEAST YOUR EYES on the delicious brutality. **_

Kazana supposed she had never spent long enough in the presence of proper company to know that it was considered sociably inacceptable, even to an ex-candor, to stare so openly at ones friends. Without such mannerisms having been drummed in to her early on, Kaz saw it fit to study Lisa intently the next evening over dinner.

"If you're trying to burn a hole in to the girl's head, a gun might be more apt right now" Dale snorted, noticing Lisa's discomfort at Kaz's unyielding stare.

The words didn't deter Kazana as Lisa finally met her stare and raised an eyebrow in question; it was in such moments that she saw great oddities in her friend. The simple fact that Kazana had shocked everyone with her strength and combat skills was strange in itself, but Lisa had never met someone so unconventional. Where Wes was unusual in a comedic, purposeful sort of way, Kaz had quirks that never failed to surprise, even to her diverse group of friends.

_*Previous night*_

A routine had come in to place without a word being spoken about it, the dauntless borns always finished training first, which meant Vesper and Dale were always ready and waiting in the food hall when Lisa and Kazana arrived. About halfway through the meal Wes would bound in and knock over a few drinks in his wake as he took a place at their table, freshly showered and salivating at the plates before him.

"VeeVee!" indistinct voices screeched, bringing the groups attention away from their food and instead to the three girls that had somehow managed to squeeze themselves next to Vesper, unaware of the seething glare Dale shot them as he was separated from his plate.

Vesper's jaw clenched with annoyance but she managed to paste on an amiable smile for the girls who simpered back, giggling.

Kazana chewed her food slowly as she watched the display with brief glances, all three of them seemed to sport the same spiky bob and side swept fringe that Sophie had shown her in the styling room, each however, wore it in a different colour.

Mermaid green, Fiery orange and Bright Lemon Yellow, Kaz was reminded uncomfortably of the girls who'd stared at her with open interest as she'd begged on the streets with cupped hands all those years ago.

"Who are your new friends?" Green hair asked, twirling a piece of Vesper's hair around her finger and smiling sweetly at the group, her mouth curled wickedly when her gaze fell on Wes, who tucked in to his potatoes with wild abandon.

"Yeah Vee, aren't you going to introduce us?" Orange cooed, resting her head on Green's shoulder and reaching over unashamedly to pinch a sliver of bacon from Lisa's plate. Vesper smacked the hand away from her hair, slowly placing down her fork to gesture in Lisa's direction.

"This i-" her words were cut off by a sharp squeal.

"Oh god there he is!" Lemon exclaimed, flapping her hands as the group turned their heads in the direction of her conspicuous pointing. Kazana felt a slight twinge in her stomach as she noticed the focus of their attentions, Eric walked in to the hall and over to his table with calm deliberate steps, his jaw set, and body tense as if constantly awaiting an attack.

"Damn, would you look at those _arms, _enough to _crush_ a guy" orange swooned; falling further in to green's shoulder who nodded slowly as if in a trance.

Vesper scoffed at the pathetic scene before her, "You'll catch flies if you don't put that away" she smirked. Lemon snapped her jaw shut but didn't avert her gaze, "Can you blame me? He touched my hand during training today; I'm never washing it again."

Dale and Wes watched with unveiled horror as the three girls fell over each other trying to crane their heads in the Dauntless leader's direction. Green hair met Wes' stare and gave him a sultry wink, only Kazana noticed Vesper tense at the action.

"I think you three ought to leave" Kazana announced calmly, earning shocked looks from the group.

"and why would we do that?" Green hair sneered, scrutinizing Kaz up and down.

"Because I find you to be extremely irritating at this time, your presence is causing discomfort to my friends and I think we would all unanimously agree that this meal would be a lot more enjoyable should you go elsewhere."

Their mouths gaped open at such upfront shrewdness, it was at this moment that Lisa turned to peer at her new found friend. Very strange indeed.

_*Present* _

Kazana watched as Lisa met her stare, she found studying the girl to be a satisfactory distraction from the fearful anticipation that churned within. In just two hours she would be expected to begin her training with Eric and expose her weaknesses, but even worse her strengths, to the man who could pose the biggest threat to Kaz's mission.

She had noticed Lisa become more withdrawn as training went on, cracks could be seen in her usually well-kept composure, and no doubt initiation was beginning to take its toll.

"You should get a tattoo" Kazana declared.

"Why? So I have something pretty to look at when I get booted out of here?" Lisa mumbled dejectedly.

"No. So you have something to spur you on when you win your next fight."

Lisa scoffed at the words but her eyes already began to shine with the possibility. Sighing, she pushed her plate away and gave Kazana a wobbly smile. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

The two made their way to the tattoo parlour with haste, and Kaz found herself stumbling slightly as she saw Tori, one of the three Dauntless leaders, sat at her desk, brow furrowed in concentration. Lisa coughed gently, alerting the older woman to their presence.

"I'll be with you in just a moment" Tori chimed, not taking her eyes away from the intricate pattern she was tracing. "Choose something you want and come to me when you're done" her voice held the authority of a leader and yet welcomed them further in to the parlour where Lisa began to browse.

It took her little time to decide on a pattern she liked, a frown marred her features as she noticed Kaz still standing at the entrance empty handed.

"Aren't you going to get something?"

Kazana could not explain to her friend the true reason of her reluctance. If the mission were to succeed, she shook her head, _when_ the mission succeeded; she didn't want a constant reminder etched in to her skin, of the people she'd betrayed in the process.

"I'm scared of needles" Kaz supplied, relieved when Lisa simply shrugged and approached Tori with her chosen piece.

With little else to fill her time before the training session began, Kazana refused the chair that was offered to her and leaned against a nearby wall, watching as Lisa winced every time the needle made contact with her shoulder blade, eventually allowing her eyes to fall shut, lulled by the gentle buzz.

"Baby? You in here?" A masculine voice asked from the entrance of the parlour.

"Behind the desk!" Tori called.

Strong cologne had Kazana choking as the man swept past her, she opened her eyes irritably, just in time to see him lean down to where Tori was seated and peck her on the lips. Lisa looked distinctly uncomfortable at being so close to their affectionate greeting, Tori giggled and swatted him away with her free hand.

"Don't distract me, this is going to take a while, go entertain yourself until I'm done."

The man huffed jokingly and looked around, his eyes falling on the dark figure in the corner of the room, half hidden in shadow.

Kazana sucked in a sharp breath as he looked up at her, bright blue eyes squinted in to the darkness she now shrouded herself in. Silently begging that he would come no closer, her pleas went unheard as he made his way over to lean on the wall and peer down at her.

His body was incredibly lean, almost sunken in the oversized vest he sported, and his head was shaven making the contours of his face appear all the more hollow. An angry red scar ran from the sharp outline of his cheekbone to the corner of his lips. Kazana felt acid rising up her throat, as his eyes bore down into hers.

'_I'LL GET YOU, YOU LITTLE FUCKING BITCH!'_

It couldn't be, she shivered, not him.

"_I'LL FUCKING DESTROY YOU!" _

Closing her eyes, Kazana waited for the moment of recognition, the screech of victory that would resonate around the walls as he remembered that fateful day.

Nothing.

She opened her eyes once more to find him smiling wickedly at her.

"Hello beautiful." He winked.

Kazana blanched, had she been wrong? Was this the boy who had vowed to instigate her death one way or another, all those years ago?

"The name's Sloane" he continued, seemingly unperturbed by her silence.

'_She's all yours, Slo'_

Kazana felt revulsion crawl within her she inhaled his scent, artificial and domineering, it couldn't have suited him better.

"Cat got your tongue honey? I could always help loosen that for you…" he drawled, stepping further in to her personal space. Time and Experience seemed to have made her unrecognizable to him, and Kaz was no longer sure whether to be thankful.

"I think I'll pass" she quipped, fixing him with a bitter smile. Glancing over in Tori's direction she noticed the woman was engrossed in her work, oblivious to her boyfriend's come on's.

Placing an arm on the wall beside her to block her in, Kazana found herself reminded of the moment Eric had cornered her in the pit, the heated thrill absent as she met Sloane's leer.

"You sure about that?" he murmured, Kaz opened her mouth ready to tell him just where he could stick his remarks when Lisa released a particularly loud cry of pain. Sloane jumped away from her as if burnt, glancing in Tori's direction to make sure her attention was focused elsewhere, it was. Kazana took the opportunity to make her way briefly over to the entrance, giving Lisa an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize it would take this long, I have to go now."

Lisa frowned, "What? Where?"

"Uhh, Kitchen duties, Max's orders after yesterday.." Kazana cursed herself for not having thought of a better excuse earlier. Lisa's eyes widened in understanding, she nodded and Kaz made her way to leave. She shuddered as she saw Sloane's twisted smile, holding a finger his lips in a shushing motion.

Kaz narrowed her eyes and stormed out of the room, furious that he should make her feel so dirty. So engulfed by anger was she, that Kazana failed to noticed the tall solid figure heading in the opposite direction.

Hurtling head first in to his chest, Kaz fell back on to her backside with bruising force. Eric looked down at with thinly veiled amusement, his expression hardening when she scowled up at him.

"You're going the wrong way initiate" he bit, lacing his hands behind his back as she stumbled to her feet.

"I was just going to change" Kaz replied tersely. Eric's eyes flicked up and down her form in a moment.

"You have your training gear on already have you not?"

"Well yes but not a t-"

"Then why are you still wasting time? Let's go" he interrupted sharply, turning to lead the way to The Pit. Kazana silently seethed behind him, having discarded her outer clothes earlier that day for something drier, she was left with very little to train in.

"Are you always this moody?" Kazana questioned, emboldened by the anger that Sloane's perverted advances had instilled.

"Are you always this suicidal?" Eric replied, no doubt referring to her snarky comment. Kazana rolled her eyes, it was true that he did intimidate her, but he didn't need to be so extreme.

"Only around you" she smiled up at him sweetly, he simply glanced down at her in annoyance and continued down the steps into the pit. Kazana wondered whether he might have hit his head as he made his way over the furthest wall, fixing her with an impatient glare when she did not follow.

Pushing on the wall, Kaz gaped as the stone gave way under Eric's hands, leading to a section of the compound she had never been aware of. Walking through the stone arch, she concluded that Cain must have been unaware of the room's existence when mapping out the area for her.

It was half the size of The Pit, punching bags and targets lined the walls, part of the stone had been carved out so as to store a particularly dangerous looking set of knives. Her face lit up when she saw a single rope hanging from the impossibly high ceiling, it was perfection.

The smile dropped from her face when she saw Eric sliding the rock back in to place, he turned and noted the wary look Kazana fixed him with. "Relax initiate, it's just a precaution, Max doesn't want anyone getting wind of these extra sessions in case it starts raising questions."

"Shouldn't it? I am getting extra help after all. Hardly seems fair"

Eric picked up a winding of white cloth and began to circle it around his fists with complete ease, it was clear he had undertaken the task many times before.

"No it doesn't seem fair, not when you're perfectly capable of passing initiation yourself but…" Eric halted his movements and smirked up at her "you're not."

Kazana's jaw clenched at his taunts, deciding that words were void in such a situation; she reached down to unlace her boots and throw them carelessly towards the entrance. She turned back to stare at him defiantly, as if to ask, what now?

He simply stared back; a dark amusement now lit his eyes as he took a step closer.

"You don't intend to train in that do you?" he asked, finding far too much humour in the situation for her liking.

"Yes, actually" Kaz retorted, crossing her arms over her chest,

"Well as your trainer, I'm telling you to change" his eyes glinted with the unspoken challenge.

"I'd rather not" her voice laced with animosity.

Eric tensed as she glared up at him in defiance; he was not used to being denied, especially by an initiate. Having bound both fists efficiently, he tore the fabric away in one swift motion, tossing the bandaging over his shoulder.

Kazana's resolve wavered for a moment as she watched his effortless show of power, her arms falling down to her sides as she went to take a step back.

Using her distraction to his advantage, he stepped forward and grabbed hold of the neck of her vest with two hands. Her eyes widened in alarm but before she had time to react he ripped the top in two and let it float down to the ground.

Kazana's jaw dropped as she felt his rough hands tearing her vest in two, leaving her in her training pants and sports bra. Words failed her as she gaped at him in astonishment, the cool air left a trail of Goosebumps down her arms and torso.

The cocky sense of victory that Eric had felt in that moment of power fled him as he took in the sight before him. Her chest heaved in silent fury, drawing his eyes to the hint of shadow which dipped down between her breasts.

Concealed by the teasing material, he felt the muscle in his jaw twitch, swallowing thickly as he was unable to look away. A light dusting of goosebumps covered her marble white flesh, and it took a great deal of control for him to resist reaching out to knead the smooth skin there. The longer he looked the more heated his thoughts became, he wanted to possess her completely, leave dark bruises and bites on the curve of her neck, as she came undone beneath him.

The shocked outrage that had Kazana trembling before him seemed to dissipate in moments as he watched her with unabated lust. His eyes trailed down her body slowly and despite the anger she felt at his audacity, she could not help the jolt in her stomach and the curious twinge between her legs his look inspired.

The feeling was completely unfamiliar to Kaz, but all she knew was she needed relief, the tension that had begun those two nights ago had come back full force and her whole body felt aflame. There was something so raw about the way he looked at her, she took a deep breath in order to calm down, but found instead that his natural oaky scent only intoxicated her further.

Both were having a very difficult time figuring out why they shouldn't give in to the moment right there.

It was Eric however, who remembered first. Closing his eyes in an attempt to block out the lustful images her unyielding gaze instilled in him, failing however as he imagined her wide innocent eyes staring up at him as he taught her a great deal many other things.

Kazana found her mind clearing as he took a step back from her; it was much easier to think without his stormy grey eyes watching her so intently. Creeping delicately past him, she retrieved the bandages he had thrown away and began to bind her own hands, watching as he took deep breaths with eyes still closed.

When they opened again, Kazana was fixed with a cold glare, and for her sake, she couldn't be more glad. Grabbing a knife from one of the hollows in the wall, she cut through the cotton and tucked the ends in to her fists.

The weapons and tools had been kept aside leaving a majority of the room clear, an ideal fighting arena. Kazana rolled her shoulders back, enjoying the satisfactory click she got from the motion, and stood with feet shoulders width apart; she met his glare head on.

"I'll be assessing your abilities to begin with, so we will start with combat. I want to see how you really perform in a fight."

"Let me guess? No one concedes?" Kaz asked airily.

"I think we'll reserve that for later sessions, I wouldn't want anyone asking questions when I'm dragging your body to the infirmary" Eric derided, to anyone else the comment might have been a chilling one but Kazana had always had a sadistic sort of humour.

"Dragging really? You sure know how to make a girl feel special Eric" Kaz gave him a cheeky smile, incensed by the prospect of a _real_ fight, against a worthy opponent. Her expression became altogether darker, it had been _too _long.

If Eric was surprised by her sudden brashness he did not show it, angling his body to face her side on. Adrenaline pumped through Kazana's veins as she watched him drop in to a ready stance, she followed suit and they eyed each other the way a predator might eye its prey, neither backing down.

Kaz had expected him to fly forward first, to use brute strength the way Wes had to overpower her, but he instead waited, expecting her to make the first move. She did not disappoint, flying forward with a simple jab to the nose, as he made to block the movement and make his attack, she changed her move last minute and kicked him squarely in the stomach.

Eric watched, winded slightly, as she pivoted on her foot to send another kick towards his head. Fast reflexes had him sweeping one leg under hers to send her flying on to her backside. He used her momentary fall to pin her down with his body, knees falling on either side of her torso. She struggled beneath him causing him to smirk down at her, "mistake number one, never-"

His haughty words were cut off as she head-butted him squarely in the nose. He groaned in pain and Kazana took no time in turning them so her legs now encompassed his, she tried not to think about the way his firm muscled thighs felt beneath hers.

Raising one arm she made to continue her attack on his face, his arrogant, handsome face. One hand shot out and grabbed her arm, wrenching it behind her back causing Kazana to cry out. She was thrown off him in an instant, Eric rose to his feet and kicked down, aiming directly for her head.

There was an understanding between them now, neither was ready to concede.

Grabbing the offensive leg, she pulled, using the momentum to bring Eric crashing back down to the floor. Kazana found herself unable to quell her laughter as she watched him fall, it was such a delicious sight. Eric growled and launched himself at her, a well-aimed punch found its well in to her solar plexus.

"FUCK!" she wheezed, all mirth leaving her as they glowered at one another.

He moved forward to plant another fist into her mouth but a flick of wrist had it flying off course, they continued in this way for some time, every movement wickedly fast as they threw and blocked punches and kicks.

Eric did not like to be beaten, and he certainly would not give up victory to an _Amity_ initiate. He pulled a long sharpened knife from one of the dips in the wall and saw the way Kazana's eyes widened in fear at the movement. She was calmed however when he slide the knife across the floor to her and picked up one for himself.

"Time to finish this Little Bat" he growled.

"What are you waiting for?" she taunted, her eyes glittering.

They flew at each other with a sharp clash of steel, the silent tribal rhythm spurred Kazana on once more as they circled each other, knives moving in sync as they jabbed and blocked. Their breaths grew into heavy pants as they continued on relentlessly, sweat dripped from every pore of their bodies.

Kaz grew tired of waving the weapon around and ducked his next blow, throwing the knife to the ground. He was stunned when she avoided the swipe of his knife with a smooth back flip. _What was this creature? _She came at him from behind, a vicious blow at his knees that sent them both to the ground.

Kazana tensed ready for his next move but saw none, she realized then that he was lying motionless on the floor.

_She had won._

Overcome with both relief and worry, her nervous laughs filled the silence as she turned away and wiped the slick sweat away from her eyes with shaky hands. A large arm barred her movements in a second; Eric knelt behind her seated form with one arm held around her throat, the blade winked at her under the artificial lights.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent" he whispered in her ear, his harsh voice tickling her neck. Kazana froze for a few moments before, lolling her head back on his shoulder, conceding defeat.

He moved the blade away from her neck and both came to a stand, their bodies heaving from the savage workout. Eric went over to move the stone using considerably more effort than he had before; he found it difficult to gloat in his victory when he should have finished her in a single move.

Kaz shoved on her boots with haste, grabbing the torn shreds of her vest, she made to leave but was stopped by a wicked thought. Eric stood at the open doorway, his face set in its usual impassive expression, but the top he had been wearing was so damp it clung to every contour of his sculpted body.

"Thanks for the work out Eric" her voice was husky as she leaned up to place her lips by his ear.

"But maybe next time lose the shirt."

Kazana could not help the grin on her face as she sauntered away.

**A/N: *Nudges you pesteringly* Huh? Huh? Watcha think? Was the chemistry right? Did you enjoy the fight? Thoughts on Sloane? I want to hear your thoughts so PLEASE REVIEW! **

***Waves hands at you spookily* WEIVER! WEIVER! (That's review backwards, worming my way in to your subconscious). **


	11. Alone

Chapter 11

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent. *muffled sob* _**

_6 months prior to initiation_

The bread in her hands had the consistency of a brick, dry and tasteless; it was a welcome discomfort to Kazana. It filled a void that was only too natural to her; Edward was not quite as beholden as he picked at the crisp dough.

"This is an abomination, there is an abomination in my mouth right now" a distinct look of displeasure marring his features as he slowly chewed. Kazana glanced up from her pitiful meal, her mouth stuffed to the brim with what remained of the bread. "Weh iyor nugunna eedat" she shrugged, wiggling her fingers in his direction.

Edward shot her a look of disgust, a laugh erupting from him as he held his food out of her reach.

"What was that my lady? I'm afraid my weak ears could not discern your regal dialect!"

Kazana scowled at him and struggled to swallow some of the food wedged in her throat, "Well. If. You're. Not. Gonna. Eat. That," she repeated slowly, grappling at his hands with renewed force.

Edward's chuckles increased as she attempted to climb over him for the remainder of the loaf, he knew not to push her too far, even he was smarter than to challenge the girl who was now referred to among the factionless as 'The Lethal Weapon'.

Her attacks ceased as she felt a wad of dough lodge itself in her throat, Kazana's face began to redden as she hacked up the offending substance. Breathing a sigh of relief when she spat it on to the ground and inhaled a fresh gust of air, once calmed she looked up to find Edward staring at her in complete horror.

A few moments of silence passed between them before his face broke in to a grin, he literally hooted with laughter, an uncontrollable honking sound as his eyes shone with mirthful tears. Kazana could not contain her giggles at the very sight of him, such moments were a rarity.

"You-you you're so-" Edward fell on to his back, body shaking from the force of his laughs. Kazana mimicked the movement and shuffled up next to him so they both stared up at the darkening sky.

Finally catching his breath he turned his head to look at her with a wide smile.

"You're a complete savage," he chortled, she turned to face him with a proud smirk.

"Absolutely wild, what would your mother say," Edward froze, smile dropping as he realized the error of his words.

He watched her with a mixture of shame and pity, she turned away from his gaze.

"Kazana I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I-" his words halted as she held up a hand and inhaled deeply, turning to him with a neutral smile.

"You've no reason to apologize Ed, it doesn't bother me," she reassured, a cool nonchalance in her voice. He studied for a few moments, wary that she would close herself off from him.

"It's just we've never discussed…I wasn't sure whether it was a touchy subject for you...," he spoke carefully gaging for her reaction, but she simply fixed him with an eye roll and a crooked smile.

"Nothing to be touchy about, I was born parentless, I've never known anything else...it helps when you don't know what you're missing."

Edward felt a painful pang in his chest as he watched Kazana shrug and look down to fiddle with the thread of her trousers, a dark curtain of hair shielding her face from him.

"I'm so-"

"That's enough! I said don't be, it's fine! I'm fine! Everything's fine!" she snapped, immediately regretting her outburst as she watched his face fall.

She sighed and moved closer to him, bumping his shoulder with her own and shooting him a cheeky smile.

"You know if you're really sorry you could always part with that abomination…"

* * *

_8 years prior to initiation _

Kazana grimaced as she crouched in a secluded alleyway and spat out a mouthful of blood, gagging on the steely taste that belonged to another. Having had the one place she could call home destroyed in The Purification, it was a struggle to find somewhere that would provide sanction in the after-burn of the event. Shadowed figures watched as she stumbled through the streets, narrowed eyes following her every movement as what survivors had remained strived to protect their hideouts.

A pained whine caught Kazana's attention, inclining her head towards the direction of the sound her eyes fell on a young woman who cradled a bundle of blankets in her arms. Two more children clung to her tattered robes, thumbs in mouths as they gazed back at Kazana with curious eyes.

An 8 year old Kazana took cautious steps towards the family, body trembling as the woman's head snapped up. Her eyes, wide and hollow amidst a gaunt face, narrowed in fear and anger, "you can't stay here!" she spat.

Kazana retreated back, tense and fearful as the viciousness of her tone broke the charged silence. "I didn't want to stay I just-"

"You get away from here! We have little enough food and shelter as it is, go! Shoo!"

Breaking in to a run, Kazana strived to distance herself from the woman's hatred. She threw herself in to an abandoned alcove, sliding down the crumbling wall, and finally allowed anguished sobs to wrack her body. She buried her shaking hands in to her hair, bitten fingernails digging in to her scalp as the pain swallowed her whole.

It wasn't the cold, hunger or exhaustion. It was loneliness, and it overwhelmed her.

"_Mummy" _she whimpered.

* * *

_Present day_

Eric wasn't looking at her; he was looking in every direction but _hers_. Kazana watched him shamelessly with narrowed eyes from her place at the breakfast table. _What is his problem?_

"-so I just decided to shoot the duck and eat the dauntless cake myself," Wes declared, poking the distracted girl beside him.

"Sorry what?" Kazana asked, slowly drawing her eyes away from the other table.

"My dream? I was telling you about how I became the beloved tyrant of this city, bringing infinite wrath in my wake, adored and feared by many," Wes sighed dreamily, suddenly lost in his beautiful, if not slightly insane visions.

Vesper looked on with her mouth agape as everyone tucked into their food.

"Am I the only one who is highly disturbed by this boy?"

Mia leaned over from her place further down the table.

"Perhaps you are just highly aware of him, it is common knowledge that one side effect of attraction is to be very much in tune to the object of your desires," she gave Vesper an expectant smile, as if to be congratulated for such a revelation.

Wes grinned, suddenly very disinterested in his fantasy as Vesper's face flushed a light crimson.

"Shut up Nose."

* * *

**Harry vs Lisa**

**Mia vs Solomon**

**Jared vs Fay**

**Bernie vs Kaz**

Kazana winced as she saw the name that was written alongside Mia's, what friendship they had was weak, but it still bothered her to see the vicious glint in his eye as he sized the former Erudite up. Her worries were quelled for a moment as she watched Lisa take to the ring, there was a confidence about her that was entirely new and she wondered whether the previous night had played an important factor.

The fight was drawn out for longer than expected, Harry wasn't ready for the onslaught that Lisa gave him and it was only after she began to tire, beating at him with desperate punches, that he finally tripped and knocked himself out in the process.

Peter sniggered at the display, but nodded in approval as Lisa dragged herself out of the ring, panting wildly.

"Well that's new," he snorted, proceeding to circle Lisa's name, her face broke in to a victorious smile.

"Smile all you want, you're still ranking bottom," Solomon sneered, jumping onto the step where Mia was already stood dejectedly, her eyes cast down.

Kazana felt her fists tighten as she watched him stalk around her arrogantly before taking up a ready stance, how she would love to give him a real fight, and by real fight she meant kick his ass.

One vicious hair pull and Mia was on the ground face down whilst Solomon kicked her repeatedly in the face and ribs, his teeth gritted and a crazed pleasure contorted his features as he battered the girl senselessly. It wasn't long before she slumped on to the ground in defeat; he continued to beat her anyway.

"Enough!" Peter shouted, his expression one of confusion and shock. Kazana snorted to herself, _as if you're any better. _

Jared put up no resistance as Fay ripped in to him during their fight, his head jerked up in surprise when Tris burst through the entrance and down the stairs. Fay used this to her advantage and knocked him to the ground with a final blow.

"Late again, Stiff?" Peter drawled.

"Important matters, I had to deliver a message. I'm here now, what have I missed?" she asked.

"Nothing worth seeing," he shrugged, eyes flickering to Kazana's direction. Kaz grinned openly as she saw Solomon's face twist in a scowl, but frowned as she watched him whisper directly in to Bernie's ear. Her opponent nodded and finally met Kazana's gaze with a dangerous smile of her own.

The two girls took to the ring, Bernie ran to take her place, feet bouncing back and forth in anticipation. Kazana moved calmly to stand opposite her, never letting her eyes stray from the girl's face, never giving an inkling of how she'd attack.

A piercing scream erupted from the girl as she went to latch herself on to Kaz, arms flailing. The unusual approach threw her for a moment, but she landed her fist with ease in to the open target that was Bernie's chin.

Disappointment flooded Kazana as she watched her fall ungracefully on to her arse; Eric had ruined her for any other opponent. She scolded herself immediately at the thought, _stop glorifying him, you fool!_

Scrambling to her feet, Bernie threw an aggressive punch towards Kazana's face, who defected it with ease, Kaz had not expected the girl to sink her teeth ravenously in to her blocking arm.

Before she had time to slap the girl away, she felt Bernie's desperate hand grasping on to her ponytail, wrenching it to the side.

"Fuck her up Bernie!" Solomon crowed and it occurred to Kaz then that he must have whispered words of advice in her ear. _So she wanted to fight dirty._

Kazana used the arm that was not currently being gnawed at by a psychotic abnegation transfer, to wrap her hand calmly around the girl's neck. She squeezed riotously, causing the girl to loosen her grip on Kaz's hair; Bernie's face began to purple as she took a step back trying to escape Kazana's hold.

They locked eyes and Kazana did not need a mirror to know her eyes were burning, her face contorted in complete loathing, Bernie shrunk under her malevolent gaze. Kazana gripped the hand on her hair, and bent four fingers back until there was an audible _snap_.

Bernie fell to her knees with a Banshee like scream, cradling her broken hand to her chest as angry tears flowed down her face. Kazana felt no remorse as she looked over to Peter, one eyebrow raised.

"Urm…I think that's…that'll do for today. I want everyone here on time tomorrow, we'll be doing something a little different, and can SOMEONE SHUT HER UP!" he shouted, flinging his hand in the direction of the girl whose wails still echoed off the walls.

Peter stormed out of The Pit, followed by Tris who shot Kazana a fond smile before leaving. Wes regarded her for a moment after they left, and then fell to one knee, head bowed and fist clenched to his heart.

"Tyrant Queen, I am at your service, I bequeath my life to you in the pursuit of knowledge so that you may teach me your wicked wicked ways!" He looked up at her for a moment with a cheeky wink before returning to his original position.

"What sort of queen am I? Without my chariot?" she laughed but was cut off when he grinned and proceeded to throw her over his shoulder.

"TO THE FEAST, WE GO!" He bellowed, zooming off towards the food hall.

* * *

Eric was stalking from one side of the wall to another when Kazana approached the secret training quarters at 8.32pm that evening. Her calm yet confident steps only served to anger him more as she neared; he'd been like a livewire all day, just waiting for the spark that would set him off.

"You're late." He snapped, a quick once over had him noting she had opted for a more conservative outfit for their session, if that gave him displeasure, he sure as hell wouldn't acknowledge it.

She looked startled for a moment, but relaxed against the wall to look him dead in the eye. "Sorry Sir" she sassed. Eric felt his groin twitch at her sly tone, lust and resentment had been searing inside him since their heated fight.

He pushed the stone away as he had done the previous night but blocked her way with a single arm; Kazana looked up at him, a retort ready on her tongue but was stilled by his stony expression.

"Talk to me like that again and see what happens. I'm still the leader here, and you're still just an initiate, one wrong move and you're out. Is that clear?" his voice was a cold hiss, the defiance in Kazana's face melted away leaving a rare vulnerability.

Her body felt alive with that same energy she felt course through her whenever in his presence, _why does it have to be him_?! She nodded, he retracted his arm slowly and Kaz darted to the far side of the room, eager for the distance, a chance to clear her head.

"I want to see how you handle a gun," he slid a black case towards her.

What confidence she'd had seemed to have left her as she met his impervious stare, their interactions from the previous night had given her a false sense of security. Despite his constant coldness, she'd begun to sense a certain sort of…intimacy between them, and now she felt like a fool.

Crouching down to open the box she assembled the weapon with swift fingers, trying to ignore the way his eyes burned into her as she did. In a matter of moments she held a loaded gun in her hand, Kaz rose and avoided Eric's gaze as she came to stand before one of the targets.

Deciding that she did not want to push him any further that night, Kazana did not pull the same stunt she had with Solomon, holding the weapon in both hands, she raised her arms and pulled the trigger.

5 shots fired, 5 bullets found the centre of the target. Her eyes never drifted from the bull's eye, she simply stood and waited for further words of instruction.

Kazana gasped when a pair of strong arms enclosed around her waist, Eric's solid form was pressed against her back, electricity surged through her body and god he just felt so _warm_. His large hands guided her hips in to a straighter position; he ran them up to her shoulders where he pressed his thumbs deep into the tort muscles.

Kaz bit back a moan as his fingers applied the perfect pressure to her sore tendons.

"You need to relax," his voice had taken on a gruffer tone and it sent shivers down her spine. "The tension is slowing you down, try again."

Closing her eyes, Kazana relaxed in to him, her heart was beating a mile a minute but she found the adrenaline effective as she looked at the target once more and fired five more shots, each one reaching the same point, but at a much faster rate.

Eric felt the vibrations of the gun through her body as he allowed one hand to drift back down, clasping her waist tightly. She was an excellent shooter, he was hardly surprised, what he hadn't expected was the strong reaction he felt at seeing her fire the weapon, her dark eyes fixed with deadly determination on the target ahead.

He knew how it felt to want a woman, he was no stranger to his libido, but Eric knew better than to think this was just another easy lay. She was powerful, Kaz had worked hard to conceal that from him, from everyone, but he saw her strength now, and he wanted it.

Hence why he stood now with her small soft figure pressed firmly against him. He knew he had to stop, whilst he still had the excuse of 'helping' her, but it was becoming increasingly difficult, especially when she released a breathy sigh and relaxed further in to him. Her raven locks were swept in to a high ponytail leaving her neck exposed to him; he gripped his hands tighter, trying to regain some control. It was then that he heard it, as his fingers dug deeper in to her flesh she released a whimper of pained pleasure, and he felt his last slip of resolve melt away.

Kazana's face flushed with embarrassment as she heard the pathetic sound leave her mouth, but her eyes widened when she felt him tighten his hold in response. Strong, tense muscles formed a secure cage around her torso as his nose skimmed her jaw line, his hot breaths teasing the skin of her neck. The force of his hold had her moaning throatily when she felt herself grinding back into the unmistakable hardness of his erection; they both froze at the sound.

It was clear to Kazana now, just how very cold the stone room was when he released her in an instant, she stumbled forward slightly but managed to catch herself. The gravity of the situation weighed down on her as she turned to find him regarding her, his eyes dark with desire but it soon vanished to the steely mask that Kaz came to resent in that moment.

"Go," he demanded, pushing the rock away and standing as far from her as he possibly could whilst holding it open.

Her legs were jelly beneath her as she struggled to form a coherent thought; he was glaring at her now. Kazana had never met someone who could fire her up the way he did, make her entire body pulse with a burning need she did not understand, and then cool in an instant, so tenacious and unfeeling. She stood rooted to the spot, her eyes staring up at him wide with confusion.

"Fucking GO! NOW!" He roared. Kazana bolted from the room without another word.

* * *

Peter had been right; they were doing something different which was why Kaz now stood shivering on the rail tracks beside her fellow initiates, jumping from one foot to the other in anticipation of the train.

When it finally arrived she threw herself on without hesitation, eager to escape the icy morning air, the others soon followed and slumped together on the floor in a lazy pile. Kazana remained standing, staring out the train door at the retreating compound.

Her face flushed when saw an agile muscular form swing in through the open door at the other end of the carriage; suddenly the day trip had become a lot less thrilling.

She continued to gaze resolutely out at the approaching city but was interrupted when a broad arm shot out and slammed the door shut. His warm earthy aroma was enough to alert her to who was stood beside her but she reluctantly turned her head anyway to meet his sardonic look.

"Careful Initiate, at least leave the suicide attempts until after you've been cut," he smirked. Kazana seethed silently at his words but refused to rise to the taunt as she walked away to slump down beside Lisa, who watched their exchange with interest.

Eric took on an authoritarian tone as he addressed the transfers and dauntless borns alike.

"Okay listen up, today we're going to be visiting the Fence, this is where we guard the city against any possible attacks." He paused when an audible groan sounded from the group, he glared at those who had moaned in protest and they halted instantly, his voice hardened.

"The Fence is where many of you will end up working should you pass initiation, so I'd get pretty damn accustomed with it if I were you."

He shoved open the door and moved into another compartment.

A dreamy flutter sounded by Kazana's ear and she turned to find Orange hair gazing out after him, chin propped up on one hand.

"I just love it when he gets all tough and dominating," she giggled and Kaz felt a flash of red hot irritation at the girl's words, _it's just because he riles me up…nothing more. _

The city began to fade in to the distance as the train neared their destination, what seemed to be hundreds of black dots lining the vast fence turned out to be the many legions of Dauntless troops, stationed at different points, some with their backs away to the city, and some watching their approach with hawk like eyes.

Kazana leaped from the train with a flip, and landed with her feet planted firmly in the ground, Vesper followed suit and the girls grinned at each other for a moment before heading off after the others. Eric, Peter and Lauren led the way whilst Four and Tris lagged behind the group, Kazana could not help but notice the nervous glances they gave each other as they perused the area.

She stiffened when the familiar scent of cologne travelled up to her.

"Hey man! Didn't know you were on duty today?"

They'd come to a stop and Peter was now pulling Sloane in to a half hug, slapping the older man on the back.

"Well I couldn't miss the chance to show the new initiates around now could I?" Sloane grinned, glancing over the group momentarily, his eyes lingering appreciatively on Vesper who seemed oblivious to the attention. Kazana sighed in relief as she remained hidden behind her friend.

Sloane's arrogant grin slipped slightly as he met Eric's cold stare. "Eric, what a surprise…shouldn't you be off on exciting missions, saving lives, taking lives, whatever it is you do," his voice was laced with bitterness which seemed to make the Dauntless leader smile despite the underhand insults.

"Actually I've got all the time in the world, perks of the job" his smirk deepened as Sloane's fists clenched. Kaz watched the exchange curiously, it seemed like there was some history between the two, but for once she found herself grateful of Eric's power, it pleased her to see the older man's baby blues burn with fury.

He turned on his heel and stalked off to address one of the soldiers, and soon they were all separated in to pairs and to Kazana's great ire, she was stuck with Lemon. On closer inspection it seemed that the crooked patterns in the Fence were in fact stairs and boy were there a lot of them.

After a great deal of climbing, and a number of whining complaints from Lemon, the two managed to get to the top of The Fence, threatening barbed wire lined the entirety of the area and stopped at waist height.

Unsure what exactly she was supposed to do now that they were up there, Kazana decided to just take in her surroundings, gazing out at the Amity fields she saw that the house in which she had stayed before the choosing ceremony was out of sight, this had of course been on purpose.

"Fantasizing about home?" Eric grunted, appearing beside her suddenly and there was a loud sigh from Lemon's direction.

Kazana snorted, "Hardly."

Eric scrutinized her reaction, ready to make another remark when he felt a tug at his sleeve; a strange yellow haired girl was gaping at him like a fish out of water.

Kaz managed to hold back a laugh as she saw Lemon pestering the Dauntless leader with her incessant questions, all mirth flooded from her body as another presence stood behind her.

"Well, well. What a pleasant surprise to see you here," Sloane drawled, again stepping much too far in to her personal space. Kazana did not allow him to stay behind her for very long as she turned her body to face in his direction.

"Is it?" she sneered. Backing away until she felt cool metal digging in to her spine. His smile widened as he took a step forward.

"Mhm, what a naughty little thing you are, hiding away the fact that you're an initiate. You could get me in to a lot of trouble you know, but then I've always found I like a bit of danger."

"Yeah, you know that's funny, I feel the exact same way. In fact everyone here does, we're Dauntless, it's sort of a given," she rolled her eyes and turned to see Eric staring daggers at Sloane who was now leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"You look familiar, it's strange I feel like I've seen you before, I just can't place it" his words were a distasteful buzz in her ear, and it took Kazana every ounce of strength not to flee right there, her heart pounding from his recognition. She could not let him suspect, especially when she now had the Dauntless leader's attention too.

If looks could kill, Kazana thought, as she watched said leader's eyes slide to hers. His whole body was rigid, jaw tight, the muscles in his arms flexed beneath his form fitting jacket as he stepped towards them dangerously.

"Kazana!" Four's voice called from the top stair, she looked down at him in question as he beckoned for her to follow him. She did not hesitate to do so, oblivious to Sloane's frustrated groan as she hurried away and even more so to the crack of Eric's knuckles.

"What is it?" Kaz asked, though she really didn't care as long as she was safe away from that creepy leer. Four stopped mid-way down the stairs and just gave a nonchalant shrug.

"You're supposed to be seeing everything, not just the top…why don't you have a look around further down."

Kazana watched as he tried to make the sentence seem casual, relaxed. She could have asked why he singled her out when the entirety of the group were gathered at the height of the fence but decided his strange request was a blessing in disguise, anything to avoid Sloane.

Light quick steps had her travelling down the stairs and on to the hard pavement below, the area was deserted and she could just make out the hint of green through the thick metal wiring.

"Psst!"

Kazana whipped around, trying to discern the direction of the voice.

"Oi, Psssst!" her mouth fell open when she saw a familiar tuft of golden blonde hair poking through the metal. Edward was on the other side of the fence.

"What are you doing here?! You're going to get yourself killed!" she hissed, running over to hook her fingers in the grooves. A single blue eye gazed back at her, crinkled in amusement.

"No he's not," another voice piped up and Kazana turned her head to see Evelyn standing some feet away from him.

Kazana gaped at them, "I...what...how-"

"Now is not the time for questions I'm afraid Kazana, I just knew we would not get another chance like this for some time. Tell me everything."

Relaying the details of her experiences so far, Kazana watched as Evelyn's face changed from amusement to shock, anger and then thoughtfulness. She had of course left out a few details from her experiences in Dauntless thus far, but the important parts were there.

"Two leaders of Dauntless are helping you with extra training? Why? Why are they paying you special attention, I told you specifically to stay under the radar!"

Kazana felt her face come aflame with guilt under Evelyn's inspection.

"I tried! I fell behind and it worked but then I was ranking so low I had to make a point, I…I didn't mean for this to happen. Besides Max isn't helping me, Eric is the one training me." She finished, not sure why that would make the situation any better.

"Do you train nights with him? Does he know the full extent of your abilities?" Evelyn questioned.

Kazana nodded. "I do, and I'm not sure he…he knows a lot more than I would like him to," she mumbled.

Evelyn didn't speak for some time, she and Edward shared a look and Kazana suddenly felt more distance between them than just a metal fence.

"Has Eric shown any interest in you?"

"Well I think he was intrigued by my rope cl-"

"Don't be naïve Kazana. I'm asking you if has tried to become more intimate," Evelyn said calmly, Edward looked uncomfortable at the exchange but continued to watch Kazana, awaiting her reply.

"I…no…no he hasn't," Kazana swallowed thickly, unsure as what she should say, all she could picture was the coldness in his eyes as he told her to leave the previous night.

Evelyn scrutinized her for a moment, leaning her head forward to rest on the other side of the fence.

"Kazana I hadn't planned for this to happen, you seemed to have gotten yourself into quite a precarious situation," she sighed. Kazana felt a prickle at the back of her eyes; shame flooded her at the woman's words.

"But it could prove to our advantage." She finished. Kazana looked up at her then, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you have managed to capture the attentions of a man who has direct information to the plans of every faction in this city."

Kaz's stomach churned as she anticipated her next words.

"What is it you are asking me to do Evelyn?"

Edward was looking away now, anywhere but her direction. Thick blonde strands of hair obstructed his face from her view but Kazana could see the way his knuckled whitened as he gripped the metal tenaciously.

The steps above her began to tremble under the weight of the initiate's boots, loud excitable voices cutting through the tense silence that had fallen over them.

Kazana pulled away from the fence but did not back off. She needed to hear what the older woman had to say, she craved for Evelyn's guidance and thought it pained her; Kaz could not leave without a plan, a way forward.

"I'm asking you to seduce him."


	12. Fury

Chapter 12

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**A/N: I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for a while now and I am even more buzzed for the next! So expect another update soon! Thank you to everyone who has left such lovely reviews, you are all amazing, AndTheSnakesStartToSing, all in good time my friend ;) I am completely open to any constructive criticism that any of you have to offer so please enjoy and review with your thoughts **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, but I am a Dauntless Fighter on Quizup? So that has to count for something… right? **_

_6 years prior to initiation_

"Come back here Rat!" a young voice jeered as Kazana sped down another alley away from the Erudite headquarters, neatly trimmed trees faded in to the distance behind her as smooth paths became gravelly roads.

"Leave it Sam, she's not here" a timid voice spoke up, three boys and two girls all clad in rich blue uniforms were chasing after the fleeting figure.

"Not until she returns what she stole!" the boy, Sam, spat back. Pushing his glasses further up his nose he peered around another corner, squinting in to the darkness.

"Who cares? It's just crisps, and they weren't even yours! Come on, before we get in to trouble!" another girl with twin plaits tried to gesture back to the pathway but was dismissed.

"Someone needs to teach her a lesson and who better than us? Don't be such a wimp!" a different boy sneered and ran in to the shadows, the others all followed suit.

Kazana cursed herself internally as she backed in to a dead end at the far side of the alley, she had just wanted to come and retrieve her book, but hunger had gotten the better of her so she'd grabbed what food she saw and made a run for it.

"There you are!" Sam crowed, spotting the girl crouched in the corner. Shuffling away with the book hugged to her chest, Kazana saw as they approach that they couldn't have been older than her own ten years, but with a group of them surrounding her she had no chance of escape.

"What do you think we should do with her first?" the first girl asked, eyes glistening with keen excitement.

"Nothing."

The group who had now enclosed around her, whipped around to see who had spoken. Kazana watched anxiously as they stepped away from her slightly and she could now see another boy stood at the other end of the street, his entire body basked in light.

"I…we were just, we just wanted to…" Sam stuttered, he stumbled in to a side wall when the boy approached them calmly.

"You were just picking on a defenceless girl?" the boy supplied, his voice calm and derisive.

"She's just another Factionless Rat, and she was stealing!" one of the girls whimpered but shrunk under the boy's cold stare.

"I think it's best if all of you leave, before it slips out that you've all taken part in such ignorant behaviour."

Not a moment passed before the group were clambering out of the alley, tripping over each other in their attempt to leave.

Kazana stared up at her young saviour, his face was undetectable in the darkness but she couldn't help but find his voice familiar.

"Are you alright?" he asked, reaching out with one hand, unconcerned when her dirty palm clasped his own. Kazana was unable to voice her thanks, so she instead nodded furiously and then sprinted away without another word, deciding that she had risked enough that day.

The boy watched her go with a puzzled expression, he turned to leave but found his path obstructed by a hard object. Crouching down to inspect the solid item, he found it flex beneath his fingers. He brushed the dust from the top and stared at the cover in dismay.

'A History of Martial Arts'

_Present day_

The sweet caress of the evening air on Kazana's face did little to cool her simmering fury as the train returned to the Dauntless compound. She replayed Evelyn's words over and over in her mind; angry tears of frustration burned the back of her eyes, as their conversation had been cut off too soon.

"_I'm asking you to seduce him."_

This had never been part of the plan, she was a fighter, and a damn good one at that, but what Evelyn was asking her to do went above and beyond her capabilities. Kazana could not shake the feeling that what had started out as an honorary mission, had now become nothing more than a dirty deal, in which she was reduced to a simple whore.

It was the exact reason she longed to change the system, too many nights she had spent on the streets watching as factionless women offered themselves, desperate and willing, to powerful men who took pleasure in exploiting their weaknesses.

"Well that was boring as hell" Vesper muttered, leaning against the wall beside Kaz with arms crossed behind her head. "If that's what I'll be expected to do day in, day out for the next 30 odd years then count me out!"

Turf scoffed, "You should be so lucky, you're looking at 20 years tops. Old Madge was thrown out yesterday."

Vesper's eyes popped open, "No Shit! Madge? Really? I could have sworn she had another 5 in her at least, that's screwed up." She nibbled a strand of violet hair thoughtfully before turning to Kazana with a smirk.

"So, care to tell me what you were up to this afternoon?"

Kaz felt her heartbeat quicken as she met her friend's sharp green eyes, "Wh..what?" she stammered.

"Don't act dumb, you know what" the girl winked and Kaz could only stare in response. Vesper rolled her eyes. "That guard? Sloane? I saw you guys talking from across the fence" she waggled her brows.

Kazana's stomach churned at the thought, she scowled at the taller girl. "It was nothing, besides, he's with Tori. Remember?" she struggled to keep her tone nonchalant.

"Didn't look like nothing from where I was standing, maybe you were too busy making eyes at Eric?" her smirk deepened.

"Excuse you?!" Kaz paled. Had she really been that obvious? Had Evelyn seen something she'd missed?

"Kidding!" Vesper chuckled, "Somehow I can't see Eric with any girl, he's too terrifying. Mind you, he does have a pretty smoking bod…and those eyes man…"

Kazana snorted, though the derisive sound was more to cover up the sound of her choking.

"Careful, you're starting to sound like greenie over there" she nodded her head towards the three dauntless born girls, giggling away in the corner of the cart. Vesper barked out a laugh, "Greenie, I like that, though maybe it'd suit you a little more" she leaned in with mirthful eyes "Amity."

Kazana shoved her shoulder, laughing along with the girl as the train approached their nearing stop. "Speaking of nicknames, do the Dauntless borns get to pick them too?"

Vesper shrugged, "Sure we do, Turf here would know all about that!" she grinned as the boy beside her flushed red.

"Shut it V" Turf warned, flinging himself through the open train door. The girls immediately followed, but Vesper began to pester her brother incessantly.

"Come on Turfomeister; tell Kazana your real name."

"Go jump in the chasm." Vesper clutched a perfectly manicured hand to her heart, feigning hurt. Kaz smiled lightly at the pair, though her mind continued to wonder, plagued with the thought of her next training session with Eric.

"Fine, be that way…Turmeric." Vesper grinned in triumph but gasped when her brother tackled her to the ground, they wrestled ferociously as other members began to crowd around and cheer.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO REPEAT THAT NAME!" Turf shouted.

"Oh Boohoo! Cry me a river!"

Kazana watched the display for a few moments more, her brow furrowed in concern as she debated whether or not to intervene. The fight was playful enough, but it had begun to attract too much attention as she glanced and saw Four and Tris approaching.

She stepped forward and used her thumb and forefinger to press into Turf's jugular, he yelped in pain and flew back, and Vesper tried to use his moment of weakness to throw a haphazard punch but was detained. Kazana gripped the girl's wrist and used her other hand to twist it down to the ground, causing Vesper to squeal.

"Alright! Alright! I'm done!" Vesper conceded and Kazana released her immediately just as Four and Tris came to stop beside them. Turf came slowly to a stand, rubbing his neck in circular motions. "Damn Amity, that's a tough grip you got there."

Four's eyebrows rose as he looked down at them all with arms crossed, suddenly looking a lot more menacing than Kazana had ever seen before. "I don't want to see you referring to each other by your old factions, you're all Dauntless now. That is unless I decide to deduct more points from you for wasting everyone's time."

Vesper and Turf caught on immediately, and scurried off in to the hall followed by the remaining onlookers. Kazana however, stood firmly in place and studied the two trainers before her. Tris glanced up at Four with a slight frown before turning to her.

"Something wrong, initiate?" she asked coolly, though Kazana did not miss the discomfort in her eyes.

"Why did you ask me to separate from the group today?" Kaz questioned, her jaw set resolutely as she stared at Four.

"I already told you. There was a lot more to see" he glared back at her, but his throat bobbed nervously and Kazana's temper only rose at his disregard.

"That's bullshit and you know it!" she spat, he stepped forward to reply, his eyes flashing in anger but was stilled as Tris placed a small hand on his arm. They shared a momentary look before pulling Kazana away from the throng of people and in to a small alcove.

"You should keep your voice down" Tris spoke soothingly, though it did nothing to calm her turmoil of emotions, anger at having been lied to, hurt that she was isolated from the only people she could call family, and crippling fear over Evelyn's parting words.

She could not deny to herself, the strong attraction she felt towards the cold Dauntless leader. But he was a monster, a representative of everything she yearned to fight against. Kazana felt a pang of guilt as she realized she had enjoyed the secretiveness of their encounters, the rare opportunity to taste the forbidden fruit without watchful eyes and talk of conflict.

"Why exactly should I do that?" Kaz bit out.

"You know why" Four sighed, leaning out to check for any curious ears.

"No, I don't think I do. You are going to have to be more specific."

She locked eyes with Tris, the two seemed to scrutinize each other for some time before the older girl nodded and looked away.

"We know why you're here…we've known for some time."

Kazana stared open mouthed at them for a moment in bafflement.

"If you've known then why…why am I here? What is the point? You even had the chance to become a leader!" Kaz jabbed a finger at Four, Edward had kept her well informed on the matter.

"Once maybe, but things have changed. I haven't had Max's trust for some time; we needed someone from the outside who could get more information."

"What makes you think I can get any more out of them than you can?" Kaz's mind whirred as she came to terms with the situation, what else had Evelyn lied about?

"All we know is what little is shared during the meetings with the leaders and other high ranking members. It's not enough, you can get vital details without being caught" Four explained, Kazana shuffled from one foot to another and glanced down at the ground.

"I've tried that already, they are just going to up security now and I'll have no way of accessing their plans."

Four and Tris' eyes widened in understanding as they remembered the interruption at the previous meeting, it was clear between them all that the Dauntless leaders would be a lot more cautious since the threat of a rat arose.

Kazana turned to leave, the gravity of the situation had become too much for her to bear, and she did want them to see her crumble from the weight of it. Tris' arm shot out and grabbed her before she could be seen; Kaz was surprised to see her own fears mirrored in the girl before her.

"I know this must be hard for you Kazana" Tris began, "I saw you, before you joined Dauntless, all those weeks ago, your hands were so cold…" her eyes shone with unshed tears.

"You're fighting for a better life, for yourself, for us all. I feel the same way, the system is corrupt, and it's only a matter of time before the cracks begin to show. They are planning something big Kaz, not just the Dauntless leaders, Erudite, maybe even Candor we don't really know" Tris' face crumpled as she struggled to speak, Four put an arm around her, and Kazana could see the affection is his eyes as he moved his thumb in circular motions over her waist.

"There's something we're missing, if you have any way of finding out more…" she tapered off, Kazana simply nodded.

"I'll do my best." She turned without another word, walking in an aimless direction as she dwelled on Tris' words.

These were two people she knew to be strong and confident, but they had seemed just at lost as she in that moment. It was clear to Kaz that if they suspected something dark was being planned amongst the hierarchy of the factions, then it most certainly was.

She came to her senses as the scent of raspberries hit her rather forcefully, she had wondered in to the salon. Sophie was stood in the far corner, brushing foils on to a young man's hair, her eyes lit up as she saw Kazana standing in the archway,

Sophie tucked a vivacious pink strand behind her ear and placed the brush down, slapping the guy on the back. "Give it an hour dude; I'll be back in a mo." She smiled and waltzed over to Kaz, "Hey there stranger, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Kazana scanned the bustling room calmly, taking care to scrutinize each photo that covered the walls as an idea began to form in her head. She turned back to Sophie, her eyes steeled in resolve.

"I need your help."

It proved difficult for Kaz not to tug anxiously at the form fitting top she now sported as she made her way to the training room for a third time that week. Living in the shadows had given her a sense of comfort and normality over the years but she could not deny the feeling of sly satisfaction that lingering eyes sparked in her, as she walked with her head held high through the stone halls.

They'd had little time, but Sophie managed to serve her well and she had come away with a few ensembles that could only aid her in the upcoming task. Kazana's thick textile trousers had been replaced with tight sleek pants that emphasized her growing curves; large crosses were stitched down both sides leaving a tantalizing amount of skin.

Wide black straps criss-crossed along her torso to form a unique top, it was made to be resilient during hard-core training but the flawless design hugged her lightly muscled form. Sophie had outdone herself; the outfit was eye-catching without being obvious, she had braided Kazana's hair in to a high ponytail and rimmed the girl's eyes with dark kohl giving the entire a smouldering effect.

Kazana knew better than to go about her plan with blind ignorance, any girl could alter her appearance, especially in a place like Dauntless. It would take a lot more than that to break Eric down, he was cold and wilful, simple charms would not be enough, it was with this thought that she slowed her pace and came to lean against the wall to the secret room.

Kaz sensed him before she saw him, that prickling sensation of awareness that only seemed to occur in his presence. Glancing up from the ground she saw him approach distractedly, pulling away shields of blackened armour from his arms and chest, a large helmet tucked under one arm.

He spared her not a single look as he strode towards the wall and pushed away the stone roughly, his typically aloof expression marred with a slight scowl. Kazana felt her stomach drop at the sight, he seemed completely disinterested and his dark mood punched holes in her faux confidence.

She scolded herself when following him in to the room as he rolled the door shut, for the traitorous coil of desire that his large imposing form stirred in her. His muscles flexed beneath his broad panelled jacket, tattooed blocks peaked out of the collar. Not a strip of skin was visible to her as she scanned his heavily clad form, and it made him seem all the more dangerous as a result.

"Today you'll be working on the bag, practicing techniques" he ordered, still facing away from her and peeling away dark gloves. "Start with some defence moves and we'll take-"

His grey eyes were on her then, an unreadable expression his face as he perused her toned figure. Kazana felt a heated blush creep up her neck but forced herself to appear calm as she met his intense gaze. Eric's position remained stoic as he drank in the sight of her, but before she could decipher his look, he had moved away. A lengthy distance now kept them apart as he leaned against a wall on the far side of the room, his body half concealed in shadows.

"We'll take it from there. Defence moves" his voice carried a gruffer tone than before. Kaz felt a mixture of irritation as he moved away, annoyance that he was so keen to avoid her and frustration that she had again lost her cool in the heat of the moment.

"As you wish" she shrugged, moving over to the punching bag where she jumped on the spot a few times, throwing light jabs to warm up. His eyes followed her every movement as her punches grew in intensity, arms immediately rising to form a protective stance. Kazana threw all of her vexation in to the blows; the bag trembled and flew back with every impact.

Still he did not move a muscle as he watched her work and she felt her patience grow thin. It occurred to her then that she had to change her tactics, this was a man who enjoyed the chase, and she had to tap in to more predatory instincts.

Halting her movements, she turned to him and leaned back on the bag, her clothes clung to her damp form as she panted slightly from the exertion.

"Eric?" she questioned, Kazana wrapped her arms around the bag behind her and tilted her head to meet his steely stare.

He did not answer; simply raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement and Kazana took this as encouragement to continue.

"I need your help" she stated, giving nothing away as he scrutinized her expression, his voice seemed a lot more formidable as it spoke from the darkened corner.

"You seemed to be getting along just fine, initiate."

"No I'm absolutely certain my technique has a lot left to be desired" she replied sweetly. He pushed off the wall but did not advance any further.

"Your body needs to face the bag side on, making the target smaller for your opponent."

"Like this?" Kazana turned again to the bag but stood stiffly to the side of it, her arms loose by her side. A muscle worked in Eric's jaw as he took another step forward.

"No. Don't keep everything locked, you need to relax" he grunted. Kazana allowed a small semblance of a smile to grace her features as he spoke the same words from the previous evening.

"I'm not sure I understand, you're going to have to show me."

"I think you're pretty capable" he answered and Kaz wanted to groan at his stubbornness.

"Please, Eric?" she was surprised at the huskiness of her tone, but it seemed to work as he came over to her in long slow strides. Gripping her hips roughly he turned her in to a more diagonal position, Kazana sucked in a sharp breath as his hands left warm imprints on her cool skin. He immediately took hold of her wrists and jerked them upwards in to a defensive position, she knew he was trying to keep every touch hard and impersonal but it only fuelled her determination.

She flinched at the contact, falling back in to his chest so his arms now encased her entire torso; she felt his grip tighten on her wrists. "Sorry!" Kazana feigned, moving forward to balance herself but was unable to escape his iron grasp.

"What is it you think you're doing initiate?" he growled, his hot breaths tickled the back of her ear as he spoke and she shuddered at the contact.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Eric" she whispered innocently, moving forward again and this time he released her though when she turned around Kazana was met with a fierce glare.

"You know exactly what I mean" he muttered dangerously, Kaz retreated back a step as he advanced by one. She was unable to conjure a reply as he examined her face, his hand shot out to grasp the thin black material that encased her torso.

"Did you wear this for me?" he asked harshly, a cruel smirk on his face.

"Don't flatter yourself" she spat back, though her face began to heat up as he backed her into the wall. She wondered how the roles had reversed so suddenly.

"I think you did. Strolling in here dressed like that and begging me to touch you" his lips came to rest by her ear, every word he spoke tinged with bitterness. "Are you really that desperate to pass initiation? Or were you just looking for a quick fuck before you get kicked out?"

Kazana bristled in fury as she shoved him back forcefully, though her face burned in humiliation. "I'd never lower myself to that" she hissed, "You repulse me."

His eyes darkened as he blocked her in once more, Eric chuckled scathingly. "You didn't appear to have a problem last night; I seem to recall some very loud _moans_."

She felt her chest heave with the force of her furious breaths, unable to ignore a pang of hurt. He had cheapened their moments together with his crude words and in the process made her out to be a complete fool.

"If you think I'm interested in becoming a whore in your rotation then forget it, I can't stand you! You're cruel and twisted and prey upon the weak just to serve your own ego, you're not a man! You're a coward!

All mirth left his face at her words, and Kazana felt herself regretting the outburst as his eyes simmered with rage.

"You don't know a thing" he bit back threateningly, "what would you know of real men?"

Kazana laughed scornfully, "Oh I know plenty, and trust me you don't fit the agenda."

"Is that right? I suppose it all makes sense now, it seems someone has a taste for big bad Dauntless men. Is that why you were sidling up to Sloane this morning?" he spat.

Kazana's eyes widened at the accusation, the feeling of disgust returning to her full force as she remembered the older man's advances. "That's not…It's not…"

Eric slammed his hand on the wall beside him, the sound echoed angrily around the stone room. "I SEE THE WAY HE LOOKS AT YOU!" he exclaimed viciously and Kazana was shocked to see him lose his calm, all because of her.

"So _what_!" she cried, "It's none of your business! You've made it quite clear how you feel about me so if you don't mind, I'd like to cut this one short! Maybe I'll find a big bad dauntless man to satisfy my needs on the way out" Kazana hissed the last part and saw his scowl darken as she pushed past him.

She had just reached out to push at the wall before her when she was turned suddenly and slammed against it. His lips crashed down on hers with bruising force, Kazana felt his body pinned, hot and heavy against hers as she stood frozen in surprise. Her first instinct was to flee, to push him away and scream and fight for having the audacity to even touch her, but she found she could not as his intoxicating scent filled her senses.

Her mouth began to move on its own accord, their breaths fell against each other in longing pants as she strived to match his aggression. She buried her hands in his short hair and scraped her nails along his scalp, causing him to hiss and press her further in to the chilled stone. Eric ran his hands in rough strokes down to her thighs, gripping them tightly he hoisted her up with ease and Kazana took no time in wrapping her legs firmly around waist, delighting in the delicious friction that their new position afforded them.

Weeks of tension and pent up desire were released in to the kiss as Eric rolled his hips against the crux of her thighs, causing them both to moan. Kazana bit down harshly on his bottom lip, dragging it sensually along her teeth, Eric growled and fisted her long ponytail, jerking her head back slightly so he could lean in further and deepen the kiss.

He massaged his tongue against hers, dominating her mouth with bold strokes that had Kazana moaning against her will, she tried to take back control but found it impossible not to give in to the passionate sensations. Kazana tightened her legs and met the forceful roll of his hips with her own steady rhythm, he groaned in to her mouth, a raw masculine growl of desire that only heightened her own lust.

Eric pulled away to plant hot open mouthed kisses along the milky white skin of her jawline, moving down her neck and nipping the skin there. Kazana whimpered at the contact, it felt like she couldn't get close enough to him, she wanted his mouth everywhere; her body pulsed with an electric desire, a need to fulfil something she did not quite understand.

The hand that was not tightly entwined in her hair, gripped Kazana's waist possessively, his mouth returned to hers and their movements became all the more frantic. She could feel the evidence of his desire grinding hard against her and her heart raced with the thrum of anticipation, only a few thin layers separated them now.

Eric began to claw at the fabric of her top, his knuckles whitened as he pulled savagely at the material. Kazana felt her top constricting around her torso and knew it was only a matter of moments before he reduced it to nothing more than a few scraps on the floor but she could not bring herself to care. Only wanting to remove the barriers that kept her from feeling his heated skin, pulled taught over sinewy muscles, flush against her own.

"Eric?"

Their movements came to an immediate halt as the foreign sound filled the room, Kazana felt a surge of panic as she glanced around in search of the source. They both relaxed noticeably as their eyes fell on the walkie-talkie, lying haphazardly by his discarded gloves.

"Yo, Eric man you there? We got a little problem down in the landscape room, think you can check it out?" the young lad's voice was crackly and distorted but it was enough to pull them out of their lust induced haze.

He released his grip on her hair and her waist, just as Kazana removed her legs from around his solid torso; neither said a word but they were unable to look away from one another. Kazana noted his swollen lips and dishevelled hair; eyes darkened in desire, and had absolutely no doubt that she was the exact mirror image.

Fear and confusion began to dawn on her; he had not yet altered his expression to the cold disdain she knew was to come. So before Eric could say a single word, before it could truly hone in on them the severity of their actions, Kazana pushed the stone door aside, and fled.


	13. Deception

Chapter 13

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**A/N: I have created a playlist for this story which you can find in my profile. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I am shocked and humbled by your amazing response. This is a very long chapter in comparison to previous ones but I felt it needed to be in order to convey more than one point of view. Just a little reminder to everyone that there is no easy journey ahead for these two as they are on opposite ends of the rebellion, so without further ado… Chapter is rated M for light adult themes.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent. Or Detergent, I like to opt for more natural methods of cleaning such as bathing my clothes in chocolate milk…too much? I think I need to stop writing till 4am…**_

_8 years prior to initiation (The Purification)_

Gleaming leather did not belong in a place like this. That was the first thought that crossed the withered man's mind as he fell to his hands and knees in a pool of grime. He was eye level with two pairs of shoes, tailor cut and shined to perfection, it was all the information he needed to know they had come.

"Is she safe?" a silken voice asked, the clean cut of his tone matched the sharp appearance of his hard-pressed suit. The muddied man shuddered violently as he pulled back in to a kneeling position and observed the two suited officials towering before him.

Both were dressed in their customary black business jackets and slacks, the essence of sophistication as a sleek car with blacked out windows sat parked behind them. It was of course, an unusual sight indeed to anyone who lived within the modified city, but he'd been expecting them for some time.

"I d...duh…I dunno" he whimpered, his voice hoarse and thick with fear.

"What on _earth_ do you mean, you don't know?" the second official asked, his voice deceptively calm.

"She got away; I didn't mean for nuffin' to happen. They spotted us ya see and I…couldn't..."

"You cowered out." The first man stated, it was not a question.

"I'm sorry" he sobbed, further obscuring his face with dirtied hands. "They was gonna to kill me, I told 'er to run!"

The second man rolled his eyes at his confederate and kicked out with one foot, it took little pressure to send the factionless filth to the ground once more.

"Are you telling us that you actually believed your pathetic life to be more important than hers? Have you any idea the trouble you have cost us?" he sneered.

"I'm Sorry, I'm sorry!" he cried, rocking back and forth in a cradled position as heaving tears streamed down his face.

"Did you see anything, anything at all?!" the suited man asked, desperation breaking through his cool tone.

The factionless man was silent for a few moments, his body still shaking with terror.

"There was this boy, a Dauntless lad and two others, he was clutchin' his face real h..hard, as if someone 'ad taken a chunk outta it." A steel capped toe pressed further into his shoulder, the clean, bold scent of shoe polish filled his senses.

"And this matters to us because…"

"cuz' they was chasing her you see, at least I think it was them, maybe she managed to get way or somesort" the words came out as a jumbled plea, his saving grace. The two men regarded each other thoughtfully before the weight on his back was relieved and he breathed a thankful sigh. His ease did not long last however when his head snapped to the side with the force of an aggressive blow.

The factionless wretch had barely the energy to struggle as one arm held fast around his neck, another hand grabbing his hair to wrench it backwards. He watched with choked gasps and great trepidation as the second man came to crouch beside him, a syringe balanced delicately between his fingers as one droplet seeped from the winking needle.

"I think that's all the information we need for now. This'll just pinch for a second" he leaned in further and halted at the sliver of skin, slick with sweat before smirking at his colleague. "What's that line again? Something those brutes use to give themselves a faux sense of courage."

He paused for a moment in thought before chuckling; his hand tightened once more on the needle in his hand. The curling smile on his lips failed to reach his eyes as he stared ahead coldly.

"Ah yes, be _brave._"

The helpless man's eyes rolled back in to his head as he fell in to a boneless heap and all of his memories fled in to unconsciousness.

* * *

_Present day _

She'd overslept. It didn't take a watch or the sight of empty beds for her to become aware of this fact, Kazana just felt it, that dreadful realization that hits you upon awakening. A sizeable yet taut bottom was the first thing that entered her vision as she opened her eyes and saw Wes running quite comically out of the showers.

"Don't look! Don't look! My body is a temple!" he chanted and ripped the sheets from his bed to cocoon himself within them. Kaz watched on in bewilderment as he narrowed his eyes playfully at her and shimmied in to a pair of underwear. How someone so large and intimidating could look so feminine was beyond her.

What brief amusement she had felt at his expense dissipated within moments as memories from the previous night came flooding back full force.

"What time is it?" she grumbled, rubbing her sore, exhausted eyes with rough palms.

"Time you put some pants on. We've missed breakfast." Kazana did not miss the way his tone had hardened and she did not blame him. If there was one thing she and Wes could not jest about, it was the absence of food. This morning could not get any worse.

* * *

Her morning had just got a lot worse. It had been with sprinting strides that she had made it to training on time but each initiate now stood before their assigned rope with unease. Max had decided to drop in and assess their progress but Kazana was well aware that his hawk eyes never left her own climbing form.

She did not allow his thoughtful stare to disturb her however as she gripped the rope with steady hands, it was the first time she had been given the chance since their first disastrous session and now was the chance for her to let go.

Ignoring the attempts of the other initiates, Kazana hooked her leg on to the draping material, far above her waist and hoisted herself up with one arm. Her wicked fast metabolism had grown used to the steady meals provided in the past three weeks and her body protested to the continuous abuse as she made her way up to the top of the rope and tumbled back down in freestyle positions.

On her third transition, Kaz snapped out of her trance like state when Lisa waved a frantic hand in front of her face. "How are you doing that?" she demanded, though her eyes were alight with curiosity not resentment.

"It's not so much different to the things we did in my old faction" the lie rolled off Kazana's tongue easily, but she surprised herself with her next offer. "I could show you some tricks if you like?"

She did not know why she said such a thing, her job was to ensure her own elevation, not assist others. Lisa's face broke in to a genuine smile, and it occurred to Kazana that was the first show of real emotion she had seen from the girl, it seemed initiation had changed all of them.

"That would be great" Lisa nodded and took hold of the rope with both hands, awaiting instruction. Kazana demonstrated the position to assume in tightening her thighs and core muscles, so lost was she in the lesson that she had failed to notice Max's additional company until it was too late.

Kazana hung with locked legs and loosened arms, upside down from the scratchy material, Lisa just a few meters below her in a twisted parody of the position.

"Not bad at all initiate" Peter remarked as he watched Lisa's improvement, his eyes drifted up to where Kazana swayed carelessly. He opened his mouth as if to say more but thought better of it when he caught the stare of the two men stood observing.

Kaz followed his gaze and felt all control leave her body as she slid down the rope at burning speed, just managing to lock her legs in time before she collided with Lisa's struggling form.

Eric was stood beside Max; the intricate tattoos on his arms were openly visible as he crossed them behind his back. The older leader nodded slowly as they muttered to each other in hushed tones and Kazana could only watch the exchange with disquiet as the steely eyes she had become so accustomed to never met her own.

Max was approaching her; she jumped on to the ground after Lisa and felt frantic visions skim through her mind at the reason for his advance. Had Eric told him about last night? Had she somehow given herself way? What if this was it, what if she was thrown out for g-

"Kaz" he greeted her warmly, as warmly as a Dauntless leader could. He placed a steady hand on her shoulder in greeting and she felt her eyes drift past him to see if Eric had followed. He had not; he stood stock still at the entrance, face unreadable and stance shoulders width apart. Eric looked every bit the Dauntless ideal, she began to wonder if the passion he had emitted in their stolen moments had just been a dream.

She turned back to Max. Still waiting in sick anticipation of his next words, he did not say anything straight away, turning to Peter and Lisa with raised brows. Lisa jumped to attention straight away and began to busy herself once more with the task of climbing whilst Peter hurried off to bark at another initiate.

"I just came to see if your skills were everything Eric had made them out to be."

Kazana balked at the comment, glancing once again at the statue like presence at the doorway.

"My skills sir?"

"How many times do I have to tell you it's Max" he reprimanded, she could only remain silent however, waiting apprehensively.

"You're advanced in ways that I struggle to find in my best officers" he explained, "I have to wonder where it's all come from." Kazana winced; she could not afford to have this man suspecting her.

"But I'm afraid we haven't the time right now, I wanted to see if your prospects of passing initiation had changed." He grinned, a startling white smile. "You have a promising future here in Dauntless. It is clear now that your extra lessons aren't necessary. Consider them done."

"I...Sir…Max-" she stammered.

"I'm sure you'll be glad to have your evenings to yourself again!" he clapped his hand once again on her back in parting and marched out of the training area, followed by the man who had caused her restless night and late awakening, her constant turmoil and confused desire. He walked away calmly and took with him the last chance she'd had of completing her mission.

* * *

Two days passed in which she saw not a single hint of Eric, it was in the evenings especially that Kazana would find her eyes wandering to the far end table. The constant awareness that she had felt in the past weeks, the crackling energy that sent goose-bumps down her flesh, it was gone. He had successfully cut her off, and Kaz could only wander whether the sense of loss she felt was a result of her failure to Evelyn or the result of his desertion.

She had at first felt angry about the matter, in the moments following Max's departure her mind swam with various insults, simmering rage that he should have the gall to end things so abruptly. _Spineless Bastard. Arrogant Piece of Shit. Manipulating, Conniving, Soft Lipped Fuckhead._

The vulgarities however soon turned to insecurities, as Kazana began to question her own role in the matter, where had she gone so wrong that he would just leave like that? There was no doubt that he had been as absorbed in the kiss as she. The_ Kiss, _it felt strange just to voice it, to simplify such a raw, animalistic moment of yearning with a single word.

It was on the third morning since her conversation with Max, when Kazana found her mind yet again wondering to that heated night, that she grew truly angry at herself. What had she become? She was a warrior, a revolutionary, these were not the thoughts of a fighter, Kaz considered herself to be no better than the giggling fools who fawned over his very presence.

Tris stood at the entrance of the dormitories, azure eyes scanned the room calmly as she waited for the initiates to awaken.

"Today is Visiting Day."

The dormitory broke out into a myriad of frantic voices, and it took Kazana by surprise how someone so small possess such a commanding tone as she brought them all to silence.

"We are almost at the end of stage 1, some of you will have the chance to see your family before initiation is over and you are transferred to your new jobs." Kaz noted the way Tris skimmed over the matter of cuts; everyone else seemed so keen to remind them of their possible elimination.

"Here in Dauntless we take faction before blood very seriously" her voice remained firm but her eyes lacked resolve. "Keep that in mind when you go out there today."

The room burst in to motion as Tris turned to leave but Kazana found herself following the girl in a moment of impulse. Tris smiled weakly as she met the younger girl's gaze, their voices were barely audible above everyone's excited chatters.

"Have you heard any news?" Kaz whispered, her face schooled in to one of innocent wonder.

"Nothing yet, but you have someone here to see you who might be able to tell you more."

Kazana stared at her in disbelief.

"Don't tell me it's Edward or Cain?! Are they out of their minds?"

Tris shook her head. "Of course not, I believe you and her have already met."

Kaz gaped at the older girl with furrowed brows but advanced forward once again when Tris made to exit the dorms.

"Wait! Tris! I…One more thing. Have you seen anything of Eric in the last few days?"

Tris skimmed the smooth contour of her own collarbone for a moment, tracing the delicate ink there as she pondered the question.

"Not really, I know he and a few others soldiers have been making more regular trips to Erudite. Other than that, he has his own place so he doesn't really have a reason to eat with the rest of us…why do you ask?"

"I just figure it's best to keep tabs on what the leaders are doing" Kazana lied smoothly, meeting Tris' curious stare with a relaxed smile.

* * *

Lavender kissed sheets encased her entire body as she was greeted enthusiastically by a bustling woman in the customary Amity colours. Kazana recognized Sylvia instantly and struggled not to topple over from the force of her embrace, such fierce displays of affection were unnerving to say the least.

"My darling!" she cried excitedly, attracting the unamused stares of initiates and parents alike. Kazana tried to mimic the woman's animated tone as she pulled away and beamed. "Auntie Sylvia!" she giggled. _Giggled. _

Kaz wasted no time in clasping the older lady's warm, roughened hand in her own and advancing towards a familiar alcove in which they could talk privately. Skipping all the while, she shot a glare at Vesper who was smirking at the display.

The moment they were out of earshot, Sylvia's twinkling smile fell and Kazana tried to scan her face for any sign of information.

"What's going on? Is Edward alright? Cain? Has Evelyn said anything to you? What do you know? Tell me everything!"

The older woman grasped Kaz's wrists and shook her head with shushing motions.

"All in good time my dear, Edward is fine. Cain came to me this morning in the hope that I might visit you. I'm afraid he and Evelyn are not on good terms."

"What? Why?"

"So much has changed since you came here darling girl, more and more people are beginning to speak out against the regime. Shootings do not stop at The Purification; the Dauntless guards are on orders to execute anyone who belongs to the rebellion.

When Cain found out what Evelyn had asked you to do, he was furious. Told her it was practically a death sentence, and I have to agree. I've never seen the man but Kazana, Eric is bad news. He's dangerous, to think that she has sent you straight in to the wolves den! What is she thinking?!"

Kazana retreated back a step; the knot in her stomach grew heavier with Sylvia's words.

"Evelyn saved me when I had nobody; she knows what she is doing." The Amity woman observed her with a saddened smile. Her grip on Kazana's wrist tightened as she came to mumble in her ear.

"She is growing obsessed, the control she once held over the factionless members is wavering now that more people are being killed. I know that she is important to you my dear, but don't think for a moment that she will not sacrifice you for the good of her cause."

Fear and resentment had Kazana shoving away from Sylvia in a heartbeat, her jaw clenched as a cruel retort burned at the tip of her tongue. She knew however that it was not the fault of this woman that her mind had been plagued with doubt; the feeling had been crawling within her since the visit to the gate. But if she couldn't trust Evelyn, then who else was there?

Their goodbye was sickly sweet, a public display of motherly affection on Sylvia's part as she pinched Kazana's cheeks with tearful coos. It was only as she watched the retreat of her make believe aunt that she allowed her aching smile to dissipate to a grimace.

* * *

Eric was thankful for the darkened disguise the shadows afforded him as he observed the nauseating interaction. His eyes narrowed in thought as he watched Kaz's expression change to distaste at the woman's departure, had that been her mother? The simpering, doughy eyed oddity that clung to Kaz like a brightly coloured disease?

He did not allow her the possibility of seeing him as she headed in the direction of the dorms, seemingly lost in thought. Curiosity got the better of Eric as he walked determinedly to the control room and fixed Four with a sneer.

"Max wants to see you."

Four looked up from one of the screens and frowned. "Why?"

_Damn stiff! Just get out! _"He didn't say. But you better get going" Eric spoke with a bored drawl though his eyes were icy sharp and it didn't take long before the room was empty, but not before Four shot him a resentful glare.

Eric approached a screen that covered the expanse of an entire wall; he worked swiftly in tapping a unique passcode in to the controlling device. A range of options were available to him, but his fingers worked quickly to delve in to each category. **Census. Recent. Initiates. Transfers. **

10 faces appeared on the screen in two rows, the last of which had been crossed out. Deceased. He remembered the moment well, an initiate who had failed to even make it off the train. His eyes were drawn immediately to girl beside the red cross, Eric could not quell the feeling of unease that arose at the sight of her hollowed face.

He tapped the device once more so her picture was enlarged; dark empty eyes stared back at him, too large amongst bony cheeks and sallow skin. It was a shocking contrast to the girl that he had held only days before, basic information typed out across the screen beside her face.

Kazana Thomas. DOB: 2296. Daughter to Robert and Phoebe Thomas. Amity Transfer. Aptitude Results: Dauntless.

"_Kazana_" the name rolled off his tongue like a natural caress. Thomas on the other hand looked out of place somehow, too normal. There was nothing unusual about her profile, nothing to explain the ease with which she fired a gun or conquered a fight.

His calculating eyes scanned her face once more; he toyed with the piercing above his brow, twisting it in slow circular motions.

It had been three days since he approached Max with the request that her sessions be stopped. The older leader had shrugged him off at first but firm insistence won out in the end, still he could not erase the image of her delectable lips pursed in to a scowl, fiery contempt in her eyes as walked away.

Eric had kept himself busy in that time, the alliance with Erudite was as strong as ever and it wouldn't be long before the factionless learned their place once and for all. This just left the matter of the Divergent. He patrolled the streets at night, leading the way for his soldiers to follow and during the day he continued to correspond with Jeanine and Kang.

On the odd occasion he dropped in to watch the progress of the Dauntless Born initiates, meals were taken in his apartment only and sleep was fleeting, practically non-existent. It suited him well, a constant routine, and a way to keep his mind…distracted.

When he'd arrived at their last training session together, it was with bitter resentment. The day at the fence had been long and tedious, only to be made worse by Sloane's constant hovering. Eric had been instructing the new patrol officers in the Factionless slums when a tell-tale beep alerted his duties back at Dauntless.

He'd been clear in his resolve to ignore her, make sure the hour passed quickly as she trained at Max's request. Then she had to go and ruin that with her dusky eyes and tantalizing skin, she had practically begged him to touch her and how could he resist?

Eric was used to being in control; it was something he had exercised for years. But control was not something he possessed when she fixed him with her catlike stare, she was fully aware of her power and it taunted him, like a moth to a flame.

So he'd lashed out, attacked her with cruel words and relished momentarily in the hurt that crossed her features. He mocked and sneered at her and still she did not back down, her inky eyes had shone with angry tears, a delicious flush of red on her cheeks, and it broke him.

He did not take well to the interruption that followed, wanting nothing more than to smash the walkie-talkie in to oblivion, every command that left his mouth in the landscape room later that evening had come out as a vicious snarl.

By morning however his mind had been made up, whatever it was she was doing to him, whatever spell she had him under, it had to end.

But how she plagued his mind. When he gripped his gun, he thought again of the feel of her hips, so soft and pliable beneath his fingers. When he ate his meals in silence, he could still taste her like a sweet intoxicating spice and then his mind would drift to the husky moans in his ear and her thick hair knotted in his fist and her firm thighs locked against his own. So responsive and just fucking irresistible.

Eric groaned again at the thought, swiftly erasing the history from the device before leaving the room. He needed another diversion, so he went to the place that he had come to know all too well, and got a tattoo.

* * *

Kazana awoke to blinding darkness, a blurry figure stood above her and it took her no more than a moment to shoot from the bed and send a fierce fist square in to his nose.

"AAAHH KAZ WHAT THE HELL?!" Four cried. Flashlights flickered in her face then and the other initiates were already up, drowsily pulling on boots and jackets.

"Whoa. Sorry, what's everyone doing up?" Kazana winced as she saw him lift his shirt and try to soak up the stream of blood.

"A little Dauntless tradition, get dressed." He addressed the entire group then, narrowing his eyes at the few initiates that dared to stare a little too long at his bleeding nose. "I want everyone on the train in 5 minutes!"

Kazana grabbed the first clothes she saw, squeezing in to the customized ensemble Sophie had given her and a thick black jacket to keep away the night's chill. Everyone ran at a steady pace to the tracks, the Dauntless borns followed behind and soon they came to a stop. Her body no longer protested at the late hour as she felt the wintry air surround her, it was a harsh yet effective wake up call.

"Everyone grab a gun!" Eric shouted over the sound of the approaching train. Kaz felt her head snap in the direction of his voice, she of course was met with nothing but his retreating form as he pounced on to the train and slammed open the door.

"What the hell is going on?" Fay hissed to nobody in particular as she fumbled for a gun. Kazana shrugged and decided to just go with it as she reached for a box labelled paintballs; she rolled her eyes, thanks for the heads up Ed.

The train doors were left open as they all scrambled on, Kazana found herself leaning out to pull Lisa in as she hung trembling from the bars.

"We are all going to be playing a game of capture the flag" Four announced, Tris, Peter and Eric stood beside him with arms crossed and anticipatory grins. "You'll all be split in to two teams, an even mix of Dauntless Borns and Transfers, the first team will get off first to hide their flag, followed by the second."

Kaz frowned at the thought; there were four trainers, who would be the team leaders? Her question was answered however as she saw Eric move to the other side of the carriage followed by Peter. She determinedly kept her eyes on Four, it would not do for her pride to be further destroyed with his dismissal.

"You first" Four said, Peter opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Eric's drawl.

"What happened to your nose?"

"One initiate got a little over exuberant, get on with it."

The Dauntless Leader cocked a brow but questioned no more. "Wes."

"Kaz" Four countered. Eric's fists clenched for a moment as his eyes darted to hers, the tension was palpable but over in an instant as he looked away and smirked.

"Solomon."

"Harry."

"Bernie."

Kazana felt a twinge of annoyance as she watched the abnegation transfer grin and take her place besides Solomon. Wes made wide eyes at her and mouthed 'kill me'. She stifled a smile.

"Lisa."

Eric snorted, "You're just begging to lose now Four."

Four shrugged, but Kaz did not miss the way he glanced at Tris with a momentary wink.

Eric scowled, "Mia."

"Fay."

"Jared." Four nodded resolutely, "Dauntless Borns then."

Kazana tuned out the rest of the conversation but felt herself returning Vesper's cheeky grin when she approached their group and flicked a violet strand over her shoulder. "Time to kill it" she chimed.

Turf was on Eric's team, along with Lemon and Greenie, Kazana wondered if she should bother learning their names but instantly dismissed the thought, _Nah_. Eric's team jumped off first, Vesper playfully stuck her foot out as Turf jumped, causing him to land in a heap on the grass.

The train continued to move with haste, the rickety bumps had everyone jolting back and forth before Four finally leapt off the cart followed by Tris and the remaining initiates. The first to speak was a boy with a tall red Mohican, Kazana recognized him as one of her congratulators after her first fight.

"So what's the plan? Go half and half and ambush the other team?" Vesper tutted and ran a delicate finger down her blood red lips, Kazana was amazed she managed to make it out in the middle of the night with a full face of makeup.

"No way jackass, they'll be expecting that. It's done like every year" she remarked. Four frowned at this, "Who told you?"

"Dauntless born" Vesper smirked and Four rolled his eyes, Tris nodded her head in agreement.

"She's right; Eric will be expecting us to use the same strategy as last year we need to do something spontaneous." Ideas were shouted out instantly, no one voice instantly recognizable as the various initiates tried to get their point heard.

Kazana decided she'd had enough of taking a back seat in the matter and saw a brightly coloured piece of fabric glinting in the distance, advancing towards it she found that the fabric indeed belonged to one of the animals on the carousel. A neon scarf, the ends flickered with each gust of wind, it was a strangely lonely sight.

Untying the scarf from the horse's neck, she found herself give it a sad pat before returning to the group. They all looked up in surprise, clearly unaware she had even left.

"What's that?" Mohican boy asked, nodding to the material in her hands.

"Found it on the carousel" Kaz shrugged.

"Kaz that looks just like the flag…" Tris started, the other initiates' eyes grew wide with the growth of an idea.

"We can trick them into thinking that's our flag! If one of us runs to the offending team then that will distract them whilst we find theirs!" Vesper's voice was ecstatic. The remainder of the group nodded excitedly and Kazana cleared her throat to draw their attention.

"Who's playing bait?" she asked tentatively. Everyone shared knowing glances before fixing her with a sheepish smile. Kaz's lips pursed in annoyance.

"_Great."_

* * *

This was how Kazana found herself running full speed down the deserted city streets, faux flag in hand and questioning the justice of her situation. Frantic shouts in the distance had the adrenaline pulsing through her veins as she was alerted to the opposing team's presence. Stuffing the flag in to her mouth she grabbed the gun from around her back and loaded it with paintballs.

Her dread soon turned to gleeful anticipation as she darted down a familiar alley way, they were not far from Erudite.

"She has the flag! Get her!" Bernie's shrill scream broke through the steady rhythm of running feet. Kazana had never been more thankful for her extensive knowledge of the city as she took detour after detour, and soon the sound of approaching steps faded away.

Kaz stopped as she came to an open bridge, transferring the gun to one hand; she pulled the damp material from her mouth and leaned on the steady frame, laughing through heavy pants. Her joy was short lived as the bruising impact of a paintball hit her straight in the thigh.

"How's it feel to lose again, Amity?" Solomon jeered. He was alone from what she could see and approaching her with slow confident steps.

"I don't know, you tell me" she smarted. Raising the gun in her hand and firing three paint balls straight at his groin, he doubled over in pain, gasping for breath.

"You BITCH!" he wheezed, Kazana had to admit it was dirty fighting but he'd had it coming for a long time. She wasted no time in sprinting further along the bridge and on to another, the street lights were beginning to fade away behind her and soon she was enclosed in darkness and reliant on every sense but sight.

Unfortunately they did her no favours as she was swept up in one fast movement and hurtled off the bridge in to the sodden marsh. She landed harshly on to her bum, the offending figure swung down beside her. Kaz felt the ache in her thigh and backside slowing her down as she tried to attack but was pinned down by a solid form.

She tensed up immediately when her clawed hands met taut muscle; she'd know that frame anywhere especially when it was secured closely to her own. He ripped the material from between her fingers and examined it for a moment before chucking it over his shoulder and using one large palm to hold down her chest, fingers barely dusting the skin of her neck.

"Where's the flag?" he grunted.

"Haven't a clue."

He pressed in deeper and she could feel the damp slush of dirt seeping through her clothes and hair. "I won't ask you again" he warned menacingly.

"Good, could you let me up then?" she quipped, glad that she could find some humour in the situation. He didn't budge, she squinted in to the darkness, the silvery outlines of his eyes were barely visible but aggressive all the same.

"Not until you give me an answer" he growled.

Maybe it was the spontaneity of the night's events that made her lose all sanity in that next moment, or maybe it was the aid of darkness, masking her from reality that had her grasping a handful of mud and smearing it across his face.

They were silent for a few seconds, she in complete horror and he in disbelief. Kazana lurched forward ready to make her escape but was pinned down once again; she struggled beneath him and kicked out with her foot so he loosened his grip. He tackled her, and she, not one to give up a good fight, faced him head on so they were sent toppling once more in to the filthy marsh.

Both struggled immensely, unsure of the goal but desperate to cake the other in as much dirt as possible. As soon as one gained dominance on top, the other would attack, causing them roll back and forth in the cold slush.

The surrealism of the situation hit Kazana as she looked up at Eric, the great and powerful Dauntless leader, battling her in a pit of mud. Laughter bubbled out of her, halting his movements. She could not cease her amusement as he stared down at her in confusion, covered head to toe in sludge; her stomach ached from laughing as she struggled to stop.

His body remained tense over hers, ready again to attack but after a few more moments of her chuckling it was clear the fight was over. Soon the infectious sound of her giggles began to break through his own façade and he could not help a small smile.

Kazana stopped then, overcome by shock as she met not his glare, not his smirk, but a real smile. It was gone before it was really there, but she knew it wasn't a look she'd soon forget. To her chagrin, the expression had made him look undoubtedly handsome.

Neither moved a muscle as they watched each other in the obscure night. Kaz didn't know why she reached up timidly to his mouth to wipe away a smudge of dirt with her thumb, but the fleeting show of intimacy had felt oddly right and it was clear to both of them now that the flag was the last thing on their minds.

"Why did you stop the sessions?" she asked, it was a bare whisper of a sound.

"You didn't need them" he answered. She found the pressure of his relaxed form over hers oddly comforting and tried in vain to remember why this shouldn't happen.

"Maybe I wanted them" she murmured, surprised at her own admission and flushed with embarrassment that she should display such vulnerabilities.

His fingers were now tracing feather light patterns over the skin of her stomach, her shirt and jacket having ridden up during their rough and tumble. She shivered at the sensation and allowed her eyes to drift shut, shocked but not displeased when Eric's head came to rest against her own.

"I can't get you off my mind" he groaned, his husky admission was spoken a hairbreadth away from her lips, his hot breaths mingling with her own. She turned her head to the side, desperate to clear her thoughts, to gain some inkling of control but all attempts became void as she felt his lips skim across the line of her jaw.

His free hand came up to grasp her chin firmly, forcing her to meet his gaze, eyes like molten steel as they bore in to her own. His thumb brushed excruciatingly slow across her bottom lip, mimicking the movement of her touch as she'd wiped away the mud. His heated palm came to a stop on her cheek, the breadth of it encasing half her face as he kept her firmly in place.

"Then stop trying" Kazana breathed, unable to keep up the pretence of denial any longer, she gazed up at him with wide open eyes, and did not protest as his mouth met hers in a searing kiss.

It was nothing like the last time, rough, desperate and frantic. This was slow and sensual and honest, his lips worked in perfect unison against her own and she could only sink further in to the marsh with a moan as he leaned in to deepen the kiss. She allowed him to taste her want and yearning in the embrace, his mouth hot and possessive as it explored her own.

She slid a single leg up the firm expanse of his calf to wrap tightly around his waist as her fingernails traced lightly up and down in his back with teasing patterns. He shuddered and moved his hand away from her hip to slowly pull down the zip of her jacket and hike her soaking wet shirt up, his warm palm left gooseflesh on her stomach as it trailed up to knead one of her breasts in tantalizing motions.

Kazana moaned in to his mouth when she felt his thumb brush over the fabric covering her nipple, firm and taut from the wintery chill and his deliberate ministrations. Her head fell back in lazy bliss as Eric pulled away, his mouth working its way down teasingly until she felt his lips graze the exposed flesh of her waist.

She exhaled harshly when she felt his teeth bite down on the faint outline of her hip bone, his nose skimmed softly along the rough fabric where her hips were then covered. He moved up to capture her lips once more, both hands moved in synchronization down her body to grasp the backs of her thighs and pull her firmly to him, they both groaned at the contact.

"I want, I w-"

"I know" he murmured against her mouth, her shivering breaths fell anxiously against his lips.

Kazana felt a single tear slip down her cheek at his assurance, how long she had wanted to simply tell her that they know, not what they know, not how, just that they do. That even for a fleeting moment she could relax in to feeling that someone else would be there.

She closed her eyes and inhaled a shaky breath as she felt him wipe away the tear with the brush of his lips, they had entered new territory and it was frightening and exhilarating all at once.

"WE GOT IT!" Vesper's ecstatic yell broke through the near silence, neither made to move straight away. Kazana was surprised when she felt him pull the hem of her shirt down and zip her jacket up in a single swift movement, his eyes never leaving hers as he did so.

She'd expected him to snarl at her, to accuse her of ruining his chances in the game with her cheap distractions but Kazana should have known by now to expect the unexpected with Eric.

Her shock only increased when she saw him remove his own thick coat and drape it over her shoulders, it was as dirtied as her own but it provided instant warmth for which she was grateful.

"I can't take this" she muttered, though her body protested to the very idea of removing it.

"But you will" he replied, his commanding tone left no room for argument as he turned away to grasp the frames of the bridge and hoist himself over it and though she did not need it, she accepted his hand as he pulled her up too.

They walked in silence to the tracks where the other initiates had already gathered. The tension remained but it had changed somehow, a buzzing awareness, thrumming anticipation.

Kazana was surprised to see Lisa in the midst of the crowd, her face alight with a huge grin as Four's team held her high above their heads, Eric's team's flag grasped firmly in one hand. She joined them enthusiastically, her friend was so lost in victory she did not mind Kaz's muddy embrace.

The ride back to Dauntless was chaotic as the remainder of her team relayed the story of their success in acute detail; Kazana tuned the voices out and leaned back until her entire body was encased in the reddish glow of the rising sun.

She turned her head tiredly to watch the Dauntless leader who stood reclined by the train door.

His gaze never left hers.

**A/N: How was that for you? Thoughts on the opening scene with The Purification? Who do you think you can trust in the story now that things are getting more complex? I'd love to know so please review :) **


	14. Martinet

Chapter 14

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**I just want to start by saying that the response I have received over this story has been so overwhelming but truly fantastic. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favourited and please continue to leave your feedback as it means the world to me. I do take your opinions in to account, even if this story does already have a set structure. **

**This chapter may leave you all with mixed emotions as it gives different dimensions to all of the characters, but I hope the balance was right. Please let me know your thoughts. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, hence why I am drinking tea and not liquefied gold. **_

Not a word passed Evelyn Johnson's mouth as she knelt on the unforgiving gravel, her hands trembling and bloodied as she cradled his head in her lap.

Cain stood frozen at the head of the crowd, clenching and unclenching his fists as he watched their leader silent and broken on the solid ground.

"Do you fucking get it now!" he hissed.

"Do you see what it is you're doing? He's dead Evelyn! He's fucking dead and it's all because of him! Shot him in cold blood, you saw it."

Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply; a watery trickle ran sombrely down her cheek.

"What do you want me to say, Cain?" she whispered. The older man shook his head and ran a hand through his shaggy hair, unable to contain his venom.

"SAY THAT YOU'RE DONE! SAY THAT IT STOPS HERE! Enough people have died! There are other ways to make a change and this isn't it!"

The crowd remained fearful and quiet behind him, but there was pleading in their eyes as they looked down at their leader. Everyone had felt the loss.

Evelyn looked up to glare at him through watery eyes, holding her chin up at high as she regarded the timid gathering.

"Do you really think there is any other way?" she spat bitterly, fixing those pleading eyes with a stern look that had them shrinking back in to the crowd.

"Do you think I don't know how hard it's been? I'm trying the best I can! We all agreed when we first started speaking out that there would be casualties."

Evelyn sniffed as she looked down at the boy in her arms, cold and motionless. Her voice lowered to a murmur.

"It's too late to go back now. She's all we have. Everything relies on her." Evelyn came to a stand as she addressed the crowd with a commanding tone.

"You've all come this far. They're scared now don't you see? They know that there are too many of us to fight off and once we infiltrate the system it'll be only too late." She narrowed her eyes, fearful faces came alight with hope. "We'll be unstoppable."

The crowd broke out in to cries of agreement, a cacophony of voices all roaring with exultation, all driven by anger, hurt and a hungry desire for revenge.

Only Cain remained impassive as he came to mutter in her ear.

"Eric is prepared to kill with no incentive at all, imagine what he'll do when betrayed by the one thing he cares about."

He pulled away to push through the exuberant crowd, leaving Evelyn to torment over his words.

* * *

_36 hours prior_

"Who's did you say this was again?" Sophie queried as she threw the slaughtered jacket in to what Kazana had to imagine was a Dauntless washing device. Of course it would be black; she noted, both girls jolted back as it emitted a particularly torturous groan, churning with the current heavy load.

"I didn't" Kazana quirked an eyebrow, "It's weird, I never thought about how you guys clean here. I'm used to just having my clothes whipped away and then bam, they're back the next day smelling of roses."

"Yeah well, don't expect that when you got your own place, you'll be scrubbing rags like the rest of us," Sophie winked and slid out her tongue, brandishing her tongue bar which glimmered under the fluorescent lights. Kazana's sharp intake of breath went unnoticed as she was encouraged once more to consider a life that could not be, a Dauntless Soldier with a real job and a place to call her own.

"Any thoughts on what you're gonna do when you pass? I hear you're wicked fast with a gun."

"No guarantees that I will, remember?" Kaz frowned, today was the last day of stage one and then she was at the mercy of her own mind, and who knew what demons would arise at the mere prod of a needle.

"You will, I know you will." Sophie beamed at her, her smile faltered in an instant however as she backed in to the laundering agent with a strangled cry. Kaz stood frozen to the spot, unsure how to offer comfort to the older girl as she had never been tactful with such matters.

"It's just; I'm terrified for Lisa y'know?" Sophie sniffled, her hazel eyes reddened and rimmed with the smudged remains of her kohl linings. "She's all I have here. I know I'm supposed to be brave, but what do I do, she's my sister Kaz. Damn it! _She's my sister!_" Her voice broke as she choked out the words and though Kazana could offer no soothing words, no affectionate embrace, she felt the acute pain that vibrated in her every sob.

Kaz clutched Sophie's chin with her thumb and forefinger, beckoning the girl to look up, her expression marred with confusion and grief.

"She's not going to be Factionless, Sophie. I won't let that happen."

Kazana knew her words meant nothing, that it was a void promise until fulfilled. She just gave the older girl a firm nod, before stalking out. "I'll be back later to pick that up."

Wes was the first to see her as she joined the others for breakfast, his face a canvas which he painted with swirling caramels of maple syrup and clumps of waffle.

"M'lady" he bowed his head deeply, regal manners clashing with the state of his appearance. Kaz had no time for jokes as she placed fisted hands on the table and looked him dead in the eye.

"We have to keep Lisa here."

Wes nodded his head slowly with a wizened smile, "Ahh yes…I don't follow."

"Lisa! She's won one fight and catching the flag last night would have boosted her points but it's not enough. If she doesn't show drastic improvement today then that's it."

Wes grabbed his face and squeezed it in odd squishing motions that Kazana had come to recognize as his 'thoughtful look'.

"Well last time I checked, I'm still ranking first…if she is paired with me then I'll lose" Wes shrugged, entirely nonchalant about the matter. Kazana didn't think she'd ever seen someone so wholly _good_.

"Okay…" Kazana inhaled deeply and accepted this as the only offering he could make, "Okay, me too. If either one of us is paired with Lisa, we lose."

Wes grinned and slapped her heartily on the back, Kazana winced, this boy really didn't know his own strength. She made her way to the last training session of stage 2 with a great deal more ease, knowing that her friend still had a fighting chance.

* * *

**Wes vs Mia**

**Bernie vs Fay**

**Jared vs Harry**

**Lisa vs Solomon**

Eyes widened in horror and disbelief, Kazana looked over at Wes who appeared to be equally as stunned. Their friend didn't stand a chance, one glance over at Solomon's vermin like grin had Kaz digging her nails into her palms. Of course the fights which pre-empted Lisa's approaching doom went exactly as could be expected. Wes used clean, powerful punches to send Mia to the ground, and it occurred to Kaz that the girl had hardly tried, it was almost as though she had already accepted her fate.

Fay to her credit, fought valiantly for her place, but was ultimately no match for the filthy tactics and unforgiving brutality that Bernie unleashed. It was amazing really, that she was quite so amble with four shattered fingers.

Harry's size and speed had Jared nursing his snapped elbow on the ground as a final blow knocked him out cold. Kazana had never seen Harry so relentless, but then desperation was a masterful thing.

Peter snorted as he observed Lisa's trembling form tread softly towards the ring; Solomon was already hopping from one foot to the other, stretching his fingers with a sickening crack.

Kazana clenched her jaw and tried to calm her breaths, this was it. The first girl to offer her true kindness, to stick with her through the violent lows and triumphant highs, would be sent off to live in the desolate streets, forever a victim to her sorrow and hunger.

It was this thought that had Kaz grasping Lisa's wrist roughly in her own. She was at the girl's ear before anyone could prevent her and her words rang hot and hateful in that single moment.

"You will have _nothing_. To starve is like having an iron fist kneading your organs, to freeze is to have your entire body inflect as the cold seeps in to your bones."

Tris rushed forward to pry Kaz's bruising fingers from Lisa's arm but it was too late, she was already seeping through.

"You will be a nobody! He'll _destroy_ you!" Kazana spat venomously. Even Solomon's jaw dropped slightly at the display, incredulous looks were shot in her direction, all but Lisa who continued to stare straight ahead.

The trembling stopped then, and it was almost as though a new being had stepped on to the platform. A dreamy sort of smile played at her mouth and it brought forth the smirk that Solomon had momentarily lost.

"Well it's good to know you have finally accepted the truth Amity, nobody bea-"

The unholiest of screams echoed against the walls as Lisa made her first attack, it was a painful blow to Kazana's eardrum but she could only grin at the display.

Solomon slumped to the ground as Lisa charged at him like an enraged bull and head-butted him with an impactful THWACK!

His eyes narrowed as he bared his teeth at her and made to rip in to the first area of flesh he saw first but her rampage had only just begun. Lisa jumped up with her knees tucked tightly to her chest and landed straight on to his abdomen, winding him instantly. She wasted no time in bending down to jab two fingers in to his eye sockets.

This time it was Solomon who wailed, body shaking violently at the intrusive attack. Then she was on him, her own lean form pressed firmly against his as she pushed past his hands. Lisa wrapped her fingers around his throat and squeezed, her ordinarily calm amber eyes wide and concentrated on the task completely.

Bernie screeched in outrage as Solomon's face began to purple, omitting the odd spluttering noise. There was no skill or prowess in the way Lisa unleashed herself on the boy, it was pure, unadulterated rage and Kaz could only gaze at the display in wonder.

"ENOUGH!" Peter roared as the fight reached its crescendo, Solomon completely merciless and approaching death at the hands of the lowest ranking initiate. The boy in question's face lit up with relief and then his eyes rolled back in to his head as he flopped on to the ground.

Silence was only momentary as Wes brought his hands together in slow loud claps, Kazana did not hesitate to join him and soon all but Bernie and Peter were applauding Lisa, thunderous echoes which united the group for the first time. Her face was tinged with red as Wes hauled her up and ran down the remaining platforms steps, the other initiates laughed as he spun her around dizzyingly fast. Upon her landing, Lisa's eyes met Kazana's own, and an unspoken alliance was forged between the two.

* * *

The jacket had been laundered and folded neatly when Kazana went to retrieve it later that day, it was in perfect condition and now all she had to do was give it back. Of course this had been an excellent idea when Kazana awoke that morning after barely a wink of sleep and an incredibly surreal night.

In the hours following her awakening she had tried talking herself out of the idea, 'It's not like he really needs it' and 'I don't even know where he lives, it's pointless!' Tris had looked unusually forlorn as she made her way out of the training room that evening, the same lost look that she had seen during their talk days before.

"_You're fighting for a better life Kaz"_

She sped past the benign trainer, trying to ignore the echo of her words.

"_and it's only a matter of time before the cracks begin to show."_

He'd know! He'd see right through her, she didn't stand a chance!

"_if you have any way of finding out more…" _

Kazana halted in her steps, the direction of the food hall. There was no denying that she still had a chance, a mere glimpse of one, he'd so much as affirmed it.

"_I can't get you off my mind"_

She felt a pleasant shiver as she remembered his groaned admission, it was an opening. This was a key opportunity, so before she could convince herself otherwise, she made a beeline for the oncoming Four.

"I need you to tell me where Eric lives."

His thick dark brows rose instantly as his mouth dropped opened in surprise.

"Erm…why?" he looked entirely uncomfortable.

Kazana simply held up the oversized jacket for his perusal, his eyes darted from the dark attire to her face, and then back to the coat.

"Do I want to know?" he sighed.

Kaz grinned at him and continued to listen intently to his direct instructions, before breezing past, her dark locks swaying with every brisk step.

Tris made her way over to Four in time to see the younger girl's retreat, she cocked a brow in question.

"She wanted to know where Eric lives."

"That is the single worst thing you could have said right now." Tris grimaced.

"The hamburgers are gone."

"Okay, now that's just sick."

* * *

Figures that he would live in a maze, Kazana thought bitterly as she weaved through heaving bodies. The further she got, the sparser they became and soon her feet were leading her past the control room.

The residential area which she had not dared to visit again since witnessing a woman's exile had been a snug formation of alcoves. They'd hinted at limited but practical space.

Kazana had little experience with luxury, it was only as she stood in the Dauntless leader's quarters that it began to dawn on her the benefits his roles afforded him.

Narrow halls led to a single stone archway, odd incisions in the rock allowed streams of lights to fall through and reflect on the marbled floors. Kazana found herself easily distracted as she noticed intricate engraving in the walls, creatures of which she had never seen, stood winged and majestic. She traced the patterns with a bony finger.

Kaz decided this had to be another route which led to the roof, a defence system perhaps. It made sense that Cain and Edward would be oblivious to the leader's section, it did however make her question just how many more secret passages existed within the compound.

Her heart pounded furiously as she found his door on the furthest end of the extravagant passageway. It was nor or never, she tried in vain to steel her nerves but could not deny that she was in his territory now.

She raised a shaky fist to his door but was halted by the sound of boots stomping purposely along the smooth floors. Sloane.

Tori's residence was set far across from Eric's, he was whistling jovially as he came to rap an uneven beat on her door, leaning casually against it with hands rested cockily behind his head.

Kazana pressed herself tightly against the door, she peeked her head ever so slightly out of the niche in the wall to make sure she had not been spotted. The sound of a rustling lock and a gag worthy greeting alerted her to his disappearance.

She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed in to the door, just as it was thrown open. Kazana gasped and flew backwards through the open entrance only to be steadied by two strong hands. They clasped tightly around her waist but she had no problem turning quick in his arms and stumbling away.

Eric stood towering over her, or so it felt in that moment, his face a cool mask but grey eyes burning in curiosity. Kaz still clutched the jacket tightly to her chest like it was her lifeline; she opened her mouth to speak but stopped when noticing the small black device hooked on to his ear.

"Expansion would only raise questions; increase the screens and strengthen the perimeter," he ordered, though his fixed stare remained on her. The merest whisper which omitted in a crackly hum from the miniature ear piece was all Kaz needed to realize he was talking to someone else.

Overcome by embarrassment she took a tentative step towards the exit but was stopped when he slammed the door shut. Before she even had a chance to question this he was moving in to another room and her attention was immediately drawn to the studio she currently stood in.

The basics of it were like any other living space, pure stone. There were additional elements however, which made everything seem all the more overwhelming.

In particular, a huge cavern in the wall to her far right was filled to the brim with unlit logs, though she knew that it had to make a spectacular fire.

The ceilings were ridiculously uneven, bowing down and raising up again to descend in to two different arches, of which Kazana assumed, must lead to the bedroom and kitchen.

With no indication as to his return, Kaz tread carefully in to the further depths of his quarters. It was here that she could breathe in the delicious aroma of oak smoked wood and something else, a sort of earthiness that fit perfectly with the rustic setting.

Everything had been kept in pristine order, a sizeable collection of steel iron bars and weights were tucked into an alcove between the archways.

Kazana's jaw dropped as she found herself at the far end of Eric's quarters, the entire wall was a book shelf. Rough, slabs of wood all stacked precisely one upon the other to create a miniature library as she perused the countless books that covered the shelves.

She ran her fingertips lightly over the bindings, scanning every title greedily. A majority of them were non-fiction, typical easy finds from the Erudite collection, books on science, history, mathematics, and then there were those that shocked Kazana the most.

Literature Classics, entire collections of them, she had only managed to find the odd one on her scarce trips to Erudite HQ, but this was incredible.

A familiar sensation of being watched came over her as she picked a familiar title from the shelf and closed her eyes to breathe in the heady scent of old parchment.

Kaz looked up to find Eric leaning against the immense fireplace, minus the earpiece, with crossed arms and a cautious look in his eye, she felt as though she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"I…ahh, I came to return your jacket."

He didn't say a word, just continued to watch her, it was unnerving to say the least. She had been so pleasantly surprised at the primitive comforts his quarters provided; Kazana had actually forgotten how intimidating it was, to have him zero in on her like a hawk with its prey.

The temptation to throw the jacket at him and run grew ever stronger but needless to say that approach would do her little in her favour. It occurred to her then, the key problem in their dynamic, they had never held a conversation. How had that fact managed to escape her? Surely that was a fundamental part of any…not relationship, of course not, acquaintance? Hmm.

She gestured behind her, book in hand. "This is…astonishing. Where did you…?" Kaz trailed off as he approached her and pried the jacket from her hands. White hot electricity ran up her fingertips as his warm skin brushed against her own.

Eric waited expectantly for her to finish but he was well aware of what it was she was referring to.

"It pays to have connections," he alluded. Kazana scanned his face for any hint of information but found nothing.

"Connections with Erudite you mean?" Nothing. He turned away with the coat and preceded through another arch, she followed him in to a decadently rich room. A large double bed acted as the centrepiece, impeccably made, and covered in black lustrous sheets.

Kazana considered his silence as he moved in to a further alcove to fold away the jacket.

"Hang on, were you in Erudite?" her voice was tinged with excitement at the breakthrough. He stiffened slightly but remained otherwise stoic at the exclamation.

"That doesn't concern you." She continued to gaze at him from the entrance, Eric rolled his eyes.

"Yes. I was in Erudite." Kazana grinned slightly but sensibly said nothing, instead opting to trace yet another engraving which played in to the stone.

"Will you be overseeing stage 2?"

"Do you always ask this many questions?"

"Yes." She smirked.

"Possibly." He raised a brow in challenge and observed her with one thumb running contemplatively over his full lower lip.

"What will we be doing?"

"Eating chillies," he replied in a heartbeat and Kazana actually let out a small surprised laugh.

"Rubbish," she smiled.

Eric's eyes narrowed as he brushed past her once more to enter the semblance of a kitchenette, it was cold and basic, very unlike the rest of the studio. Kazana got the impression it was rarely used.

"If you don't think you're Dauntless enough," he muttered, Kaz wanted to laugh again at the ridiculous notion but found herself instead considering the dare.

The next thing she knew she was sat on the black marbled sideboard, chilli in hand, glaring at Eric who just stared back amusedly. Kazana drew in a heavy breath and tried to muster a dignified expression as she popped the vivacious red chilli in to her mouth whole and bit down.

She swallowed instantly and triumphant in her success, Kaz opened her mouth to gloat but was stopped by the burning hot sensation running up her throat. An excruciating pulse of heat singed her nose and ears as she tried and failed to keep her face blank.

"No one concedes," she choked out through pained gasps.

He actually chuckled at this and flicked on a tap of water, Kazana practically salivated at the sight of the icy cold stream. She grabbled desperately for the glass he held out to her and downed it in seconds, relishing in the cool relief it provided.

It took a considerable amount of time for Kazana to collect herself again, a glance down alerted her to how haphazard she'd been in consuming the water. Her simple black vest now clung damply to her torso and she did not miss the wicked gleam in Eric's eye as he drank in the sight.

"Well," she cleared her throat and straightened up, trying to behave as though the last three minutes of choking and spluttering had never occurred. "That was pleasant."

"Stage two is all about pushing your boundaries mentally, peppers excluded," he smirked.

"Sounds fun, 'who can read 'Factions: An Antiquity' before they shoot themselves in the face." Kazana mocked, remembering a particular title from his extensive collection.

"That book is a valuable part of our history," Eric scolded, though his lips twitched with the hint of smile. "How would you have heard about that anyway?"

"Amity are kind not illiterate," Kazana snorted. Eric looked as though he wanted to make a scathing remark but was stopped by a high pitched beep omitting from his wrist.

He huffed out an impatient breath and stormed out of the room, shrugging on a coat when he returned. Kaz frowned at the odd pang of disappointment she felt at his approaching departure, she slid off the counter and retrieved his book. She steeled herself for her next question, wondering whether it was all too soon to ask.

"Can I borrow this?" Kazana held it out for his inspection; his cold grey eyes scanned the title momentarily before returning to her.

"No."

Kazana's hopeful expression fell under his impassive stare.

"If you want to read, you're going to have to come back."

Unable to form a coherent reply, Kazana opted instead to meet his ashen eyes and give the most imperceptible of nods.

He took the book from her hands and moved away, Kaz swept over to the door and opened it before another word could be exchanged. Shutting it behind her, her face broke in to an elated smile.

* * *

1 Wes

2 Kazana

3 Vesper

4 Solomon

5 Lara

6 Turf

7 Marty

8 Harry

9 Shia

10 Bernie

11 Cam

12 Paul

13 Reggie

14 Lisa

**Mia**

**Ashton**

**Haley**

**Tanya**

**Jared**

**Fay**

The atmosphere amongst the initiates had been tense as they made their way to the training room that morning. Peter, Tris and Four stood before the board which listed their final rankings for stage 1. Kazana was stunned to see the level at which she'd elevated, but that soon gave way to pity as she saw Mia's broken expression.

Those who had made it were lost in their own ecstasy as the cut initiates made their way out, only Kaz watched their tragic departure. Absurd guilt gnawed at her as she watched the former Erudite disappear through the exit, a need to do _something_ plagued her but the seconds seemed to pass achingly slow and she found it impossible to join the merriment of the others.

Suddenly Kazana was running, sprinting to get to the train tracks where the train had already arrived. The now factionless initiates jumped on, one last act of perseverance before their lives took a dramatic turn. Kaz threw herself at the last rung, clinging desperately on to the bars. Mia stuck her head out of the open door in bafflement.

"Are you crazy!? Get off! It's too late for me!"

"The boy with the eye patch! You must find the boy with the eye patch!" Kazana cried out desperately, her voice barely audible over the heavy wind. Mia gaped at her confusedly but nodded as Kaz finally lost her grip and fell from the moving cart. She tumbled to the ground, her back jarred at the fierce impact but there was no serious damage.

Looking up from the gravely tracks, she was just able to catch a glimpse of platinum blonde hair, before the train rode in to obscurity.

* * *

Eric felt a mixture of irritation and satisfaction as he led a group of six soldiers through the Factionless district.

He hadn't been sure as to whether Kazana would return, the jacket hadn't meant a damn thing to him but he'd never been more grateful for a piece of clothing as she stood wide eyed and curious in his quarters.

His initial impulse was to remain cold with her, it was familiar territory and he knew little else but there was something about her that demanded his attention. It had felt natural to relent to her curiosity; he wanted her to see more.

Of course then she'd had to go and taunt him with the delicious sight of her soaking wet shirt, clinging tantalizingly tight to marble white skin. Slow drops of water running slowly down her neck and in to the dip of her breasts. It had taken all of his control not to throw her on to his bed there and then.

But she'd be back.

They were coming to the end of their patrol, and the streets had been uncommonly quiet. That said, it was becoming a frequent occurrence as the word rebellion hung imminent on everyone's lips.

The odd scuffle of feet and crashing of glass alerted him to their presence but it was not his job to hunt them down, he was on the lookout for those who got in his way.

"We've got one!" a young voice cried, a more recent addition to his team. The boy's eyes glittered with excitement as he held a young man in a fumbling arm lock, gun held firmly at his head.

Various other soldiers leapt in to action as they raised their guns and pointed them at the struggling culprit. His clothes were a torn, dirtied array of black and grey, which meant he had most likely belonged to Dauntless at some time or another.

"We found him with a load of explosives, fuck knows where he found 'em!" another soldier added as he kicked the boy's back, sending him on to his hand and knees.

Eric's eyes barely glanced over the boy's face as he nodded and continued on away from the group, listing orders over his shoulder.

"I want it all gathered and on the train in 10, check the surrounding area for more evidence and take care of the kid."

The soldiers all mumbled in compliance and the familiar sound of clicks sounded behind him as they held their guns at the ready.

"You don't deserve her," a bitter voice broke through the tense silence.

Eric Froze, and turned slowly on his heel to face the kneeling boy.

"Hold your fire."

The young man's body trembled violently but his murderous glare held true.

"What the hell d-"

The thunderous tenor of lead against flesh resonated off the surrounding buildings as the young man's body slumped to the ground in an instant. His blood became a dirtied canal as it flowed in to the street.

Eric gritted his teeth he looked up at the young guard, wisps of smoke still crept from the tip of his gun.

"I said hold your fire," Eric spat. He ripped the gun from the teenage soldier's hands and looked down at the boy with a dangerous sneer.

"Ignore my orders again and it'll be your head cracked against the cement, Am I clear?"

The young boy gulped and nodded, his body quaked in fear under the Dauntless Leader's glare.

Snapping his fingers to signal they move on, he glanced back at the lifeless figure. Eric bent down and felt recognition wash over him as he observed the young man's face. A former initiate. A faded black patch covered one eye as the other stared up unblinkingly.

Caught in a moment of indecision, Eric reached down to shut the boy's eye just as a mass of furious bodies turned the corner further down the street. No one face was distinguishable from the distance, but the air was thick with tension as he came to a stand and scanned the group coldly.

Shifting the second gun to rest firmly under one arm, he fixed them with a warning glare and stalked off in the other direction. It was only as he turned the corner and joined the rest of his patrol team to head back to the compound, that he heard their tortured cries.

"_EDWARD!" _


	15. I Remember

Chapter 15

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._

**A/N: It's Summer! My work is done! Which means the updates are going to be increasing these next few weeks. This chapter has its darker moments but in hindsight is one of the sweetest in this story, what can I say? I have a black soul. That said I almost teared up at some of the reviews you left for the last update, you're all magnificent. If you have any theories about the end of this chapter then I would love to hear them. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, I own a dog-eared, hardback copy if that counts? **_

The festivities were already in place when Eric returned to the compound that evening. Indulgent celebrations that would lure even the purest of souls in to the dark, and how the Dauntless relished the dark.

It reminded him of the rituals that he had been all too willing to advocate in the past, appraisal of 'the brave dead' who so valiantly fought before they took their last breath. Often all it took was one step too far in to The Chasm, a sanctuary he currently sought to escape the insufferable drunkards who littered every hallway.

Something had changed in him in the past year, Eric was well aware of it. He simply credited it to the difficult tasks that had befallen him. It had been easy to play the part of the trainer, cruel and mocking but it had also been akin to a game.

One that he refused to lose, he thought amusedly back to the all-consuming rage Four's success brought him in previous months. These matters seemed almost trivial now, and the weight of his duties had never felt as heavy as when he boarded the train that night.

Eric welcomed the thunderous roar that surrounded him in the centre of The Chasm, sheets of blue reflected in shimmering waves off the menacing rock. Rhythmic shadows passed over his face as he came to a stop on the railing; in that single moment of peace he knew if anyone dared to contact him he'd throw the damn device in to the water.

It could have been minutes, perhaps hours, he could not really focus on anything but the plumes of smoke that now invaded his space. Tightening his grip on the railing he turned his head to fix the offending presence with a hostile glare.

Sloane had draped himself over the side, a lazy smile on his face as the cigarette in his mouth hung dangerously loose. Heavy inebriation rendered Eric's stare void, otherwise the older guard would have been sure to evacuate immediately. As it was, Sloane was preposterously drunk and he simply fixed the Dauntless Leader with a grin, mistaking the look for one of curiosity.

"Did I ever tell you how I got this scar?" Sloane ran a thumb along the puckered skin of his cheek, highlighted in the flickering light.

"I don't care."

"Hmm," he pulled away and rested two hands behind his head. Eric thought that the end of the matter and continued to stare in to the water until Sloane spoke again, a crazed look in his icy blue eyes.

"I've always known my place. We all have a role of sorts in this world you know? Some of us are smart, some brave, yadda yadda yadda, but then you get those guys that just _don't fit_."

Eric narrowed his eyes, not bothering to throw another look Sloane's way, but the older guard continued on anyway.

"You know what I meant don't you? The useless vermin that fill the city streets, begging and scrounging and fuck knows what else." His words were slurred and the stench of alcohol began to pollute the salty air. Eric was sorely tempted to throw him over the side.

"So anyway I'm 14 years old yeah? And Ma had finally agreed to let me out on the yearly cleansing. Man I'm telling you now it was exhilarating, you know? Like seriously you live all your life in a box and then you get to hold a gun in your hands and…"

Sloane closed his eyes and clasped his fingers together to create the semblance of a weapon.

"You're like the fucking master, the power it's just…" his eyes darkened as he caught track of the story once more.

"Then I see one of those rats, she's real small y'know? It's bad enough that they exist let alone the fact they're breeding." He shook his head in disgust.

"And I have her, she's right there, fuck I'm so close! Then you know what she does next?" He leaned in as though expecting the Dauntless leader to be hanging on his every word, but Eric could not deny that his curiosity had been piqued.

"Took a bite right outta me," Sloane gestured slowly down his cheek, his eyes burning in anger.

"Ma never took me on another round again, by the time I was able to lead The Purification myself she was nowhere to be seen. Oh I've tried, fuck knows I've tried but haven't seen or heard a thing, it's like she just fell of the radar."

Eric snorted, "Ever occur to you that she might be dead?"

"No." Sloane shook his head, hollowed face contorted angrily in a sneer. "No she's alive, I know it." He crushed the cigarette in his hand, oblivious to the scolding embers searing his flesh.

"And when I get my hands on that little whore I'm going to make her wish she'd died that day."

* * *

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" Incensed chants ricocheted off the walls in The Pit where a large group of initiates and members alike had gathered to celebrate stage 1's finality. Kazana smiled timidly back at a dark skinned girl with cropped hair and an infectious grin, she leaned in to shout over the thumping bass.

"How're you liking the party? I'm Christina by the way!" Kaz reached out to accept the girl's open palm but Christina simply scrunched it in to a fist and punched her jokingly in the arm.

"Kazana," she replied "Yeah it's erm, awesome?" Luckily the older girl was much too engaged in the jovialities to notice Kaz's diffidence.

"Yeah I've heard about you, apparently you have a mean flying kick," she flashed her pearly whites and threw back a shot of amber liquid. Was there anyone in Dauntless who didn't know her name?

That was a problem.

"I work in military operations, not the most exciting job in the world but the equipment is pretty cool. I wanted to train you guys this year but asshat over there beat me to the punch." Christina sent a bitter look in the direction of Peter, who was balancing a bottle of whiskey on his nose.

Kazana thought back to the earpiece Eric had worn the previous day. Opening her mouth to reply, she was interrupted by a huge flare in the corner of her eye. A collective of Dauntless borns were roaring with laughter as they took it in turns squatting over and lighting a match in the vicinity of their behinds.

Christina rolled her eyes but grinned slightly as Tris approached them, it struck Kazana how striking the former Abnegation girl was with her sharp features highlighted in the neon lights.

"I swear if Will pulled any of those tricks around me I'd haul his ass in to The Chasm."

"That'll be the day!" Tris laughed, "I'd sooner see Tobias on the zip."

Kazana stayed quiet as she watched the interaction, Christina was soon pulled away giggling wildly by a boy with shaggy blonde hair.

"So I hear you were trying to find Eric's quarters yesterday."

"Uh yeah, I had to return something. The leaders sure get it good, I've never seen such a big fireplace," Kaz laughed nervously but Tris just looked on in astonishment.

"Wait he actually let you in his place?"

She stared back in confusion, wondering whether she had said something wrong. Why should that be such a surprise?

"…Yes?"

Tris contemplated her for a few moments more before raising her brows and nodding, "Huh."

There were no signs that the party would be stopping any time soon and Kazana knew that without an existing desire to be there or the numbing buzz of alcohol, it really wasn't in her best interest to stay.

Making her excuses to leave she made to climb the steps that would eventually lead to the comforts of bed. It seemed that no matter how much time passed, she would never cease to relish the feeling of a real mattress; years of solid stone were bound to do that to you.

A gasping sob omitted from beneath her, and Kazana crouched down to see Lemon curled up in a tight shivering ball, hands clasped over her mouth as she tried to muffle her cries.

Kazana realized this would have been a good time to know the girl's name but settled instead for a light cough as she slid down the wall, leaving them hidden to the world.

Neither said anything for a while but Kaz remembered well the flash of vivacious tangerine coloured hair darting on to the train earlier that day. It occurred to her she had failed to see these girls possessed real emotions, something other than misplaced lust.

"I knew she wasn't doing so well I just," her voice broke as she tried to regain composure, bright yellow strands lay damp against her cheek. "I just never thought she'd be gone like that. One minute they're there…and the next…" there was silence as she stared sorrowfully ahead, tears continued to fall thickly.

Kazana did not embrace the girl, she could not even find it in her to offer a comforting touch, but she stayed. They stayed there for some time, mere shadows amongst a turbulent crowd. Finally it seemed there were no more tears left to shed and she simply sighed shakily as her head fall back against the pounding walls.

"I was starting to get worried there, you didn't even point out the perfection of Four's biceps," Kaz joked. She was rewarded with a shaky laugh as the girl reached up to wipe away stray tears.

"Actually I was more distracted by his bum." Kaz chuckled but stopped as she saw the smile fall.

"It's an easy distraction, fooling around, swooning after guys, stops me thinking about real life for a little while."

Guilt flushed over her as she thought back to her immediate dismissal of the three girls, Kazana never thought she'd be the one to judge people so quickly.

"Real life's not so bad," Kaz offered, "You've made it this far."

"And the idea of that used to mean the world to me, jumping off buildings, wearing the sexy black outfits," she paused and smirked at Kaz lightly. "Messing with all the big strong guys…" Her smile was bitter however as she continued on.

"It's just not the same anymore, there's uneasiness about you know? My dad, he was chief commander of the weapons department but last year he got this real bad pain in his back. Couldn't lift a damn thing, next thing I know I'm standing at the tracks watching him head out to hell knows where."

Vesper and Turf had hinted at doubts only days before, but Kazana knew she was on the verge of something as she stared at the teary eyed girl. "You think people are going to start trying to change that? The uneasiness I mean?"

"I don't think they're going to change anything." Lemon regarded her reproachfully for a moment, but seemed to shake away any doubt as she observed the writhing figures surrounding them.

"I know they will."

There it is, Kazana drew in a sharp breath and leaned away. It was of course, just mere gossip. But didn't all fundamental shifts happen as a result of gossip, ideas? She came to a stand and made sure to correct her previous mistake before leaving.

"What's your name by the way?"

"Tanya."

A glimpse of warmth began to enter back in to her eyes as she too stood to join the throng of bodies.

"It's was nice to meet you Tanya."

* * *

Jeanine Matthews stood primly in the centre of a newly refurbished section in the Dauntless Compound. Her lips pursed in distaste as her eyes scanned the vast screens and white tiles which lined the floors, a distinct contrast to the usual colours sported in the underground Faction.

"You say this is the finished product?" she queried, her voice dripped with disdain.

Peter and Max stood quietly behind Eric as they watched her peruse the room, a perfectly manicured nail reached out to scratch the glass screens. Having devoted a majority of his days to meet Jeanine's expectations, he was unable to keep his fists from clenching as she traced a finger along the frame and hmm'd at the sweeping of dust she found there.

"Everything has been designed as you requested it," Eric bit out, "It'll be ready to utilize by the end of initiation. Once you give the go ahead."

The Erudite leader had always been somewhat of a paragon to him as he grew up amongst hungry minds and keen thinkers.

There was no doubt that Eric too possessed this craving, but it hadn't been enough to quell the need for a pursuit more physical. It was as he stood before her now, exhausted, worn and bearing the brunt of her extreme scrutiny, that he began to question his past ardour.

"On the contrary, this is not what I asked for. I entrusted you with duty of completing this task to the best of your ability, this room is not ready."

In an attempt to refrain from ripping off the glasses that perched delicately on her crooked nose and snapped them in half, Eric gritted his teeth and inclined his head, requesting for her to continue.

"I want every surface consolidated and soundproofed, these foundations are weak. The screens are impractical, they will shatter during construction, fix that. Increase security, I will not risk the success of this assignment because of a glitch in surveillance."

Jeanine approached confidently in her cobalt heels to look up at him, a flash of irritation in her eyes as she failed to catch even the slightest hint of emotion from his face. "I'll have my assistant contact you with the finer details. Until then…" she gave the room a slow once over. "Clean this place up."

* * *

A fist remained frozen in place before the taunting door as Kazana tried yet again to muster the confidence to knock. Unlike the remainder of her initiate group, she had awoken with a clear head and eagerness for the day ahead.

It was early, perhaps too early to be standing at the entrance to the Dauntless Leader's quarters but she had only a mere couple of hours before stage 2 began and the temptation to read had been all too strong.

_Sure, _an ironic voice called from the deep recesses of her psyche, _that's all it is. _

Her mind was willing, but her body had moaned in protest as she'd climbed the ascending levels to his domain, the fall from the train had done more damage than she'd initially thought. Kazana counted herself lucky that the physical stage was over as a stab of white hot pain shot down her lower back. Growing impatient with herself, she impulsively reached forward and rapped on the door three times.

The nerves which trembled through her as a result only intensified when the door flew open and Eric stood before her with a furious glare. Her mind told her to run, but Kazana should have known that her body rarely listened to logic when Eric was involved.

His scowl had her convinced he would slam the door in her face but he simply stood there with the same snarling expression.

"Did it occur to you to ask before you wander up here and disturb me?"

Kazana blanched, what the hell was his problem?

"Well you're not exactly easy to find, I'll just leave if it's that much of a problem." She turned sharply and made to storm away with movements that reflected her rapidly descending mood.

Eric was before her in an instant, her nose almost collided with the solid wall of his chest but she caught herself just in time. He still looked aggravated but there was conflict in his eyes as he stopped her from retreating any further.

"It's not…you can stay," and then almost as though he were searching for something to toughen the display, "just don't break anything."

Kazana restrained herself from glaring at him, "Wouldn't dream of it." She brushed past, and felt the surrounding area immediately numb her vexation. Not bothering to look back at the hostile man behind her, she padded over to the book shelf and perused it in greater detail.

The slam of the door behind her and fading footsteps made it clear he wanted no part in her recreational activities. It made her uncomfortable that she currently resided in his lair when he'd been so openly averse to the idea but the roughened texture of the spines beneath her fingertips was far too appealing for it to matter.

She softly coaxed a delicately bound book from its place on the shelf, too rough a touch would have the paper shredding beneath her fingers. Kazana sunk to the ground cross legged, and poured over the stories contents with familiar vigour; it had been years since she had indulged in such practices.

Unfortunately her concentration was repeatedly tested with the spasms of pain in her back, she shifted uncomfortably every few moments before settling in to a different position.

"What did you do to it?" the husky baritone of his voice shook Kaz from her reverie; she peered over her shoulder to find him leaning again on the vast mantle. Eric had shucked the jacket and overcoat, standing before her in a form fitting black vest that outlined every dip and hollow of firm muscle.

"I urm…" she struggled to collect her thoughts, curious eyes trailing up the detailed patterns on his arms and neck, if only she could get a closer look…

"Training got a little rough," she supplied, although it was clear by the way he raised one brow derisively that he doubted the story. Kazana could hardly tell him that she'd jarred her tailbone by falling from a fast moving train just mere hours earlier.

Her musings were cut short as she winced and hunched forward from another pulsing bolt of agony that seemed to vibrate straight through the bone.

"Lay your legs out straight," he ordered and Kazana shakily complied, too wrapped up in the pain to question him.

She felt him behind her immediately, the cool breeze which had teased her skin earlier disappeared as he sat with legs outstretched either side of her body. The shock of his warm fingers kneading hard in to aching muscle was infantile compared to the immense relief his persistent touch brought her.

His thumb pressed down hard in circular motions over a particularly stubborn knot in her lower back. Her pleasure was short-lived as his powerful hands worked practically to smooth out the tension which not just the fall, but years of training had instilled in her.

She let out a comical whimper as he began to use his knuckles; Eric chuckled at the uncharacteristic sound.

"Sadist," she hissed.

"Well that must make you a masochist then." He dug sharply in to another knot earning a feminine purr that sent all blood running south.

"I don't derive any pleasure fr- Ooooohhhhhh" Kazana moaned indulgently as he moved his heated palms to the perfect spot between her shoulder blades. The smoky aroma that she had grown to favour over any other scent had her shutting her eyes slowly, as Kaz released herself to the luxurious sensations.

_"Eric,"_ the name passed through her lips as a sensual sigh that made her glow hot with embarrassment.

His hands froze in place and Kazana felt the humiliation ten-fold as he leaned in so that her back was pressed flush against his chest, his voice tinged with amusement as he spoke hot and heavy in her ear.

"What was that?"

"I do-, I didn't m-"

"Say it again," he demanded. She opened her mouth to protest once more but lost her words as one hand moved up to tilt her head to face him. Darkened eyes met hers and she felt what little control she had slipping away from her.

Now that wouldn't do. He was enjoying this power play far too much. Kaz allowed her gaze to drift down slowly to his sensuous lips, biting her own in the process. It had the desired effect, Eric leaned in closer to her and she pulled her head away just in time.

Her obsidian eyes gleamed deviously at the look of annoyance on his face. That'll teach him to play hot and cold with me.

Eric remained undeterred however as he traced the smooth column of her neck with slow, torturous nips that would almost be her undoing.

"Say it," he hissed her against her skin, her skin tasted sweet as his tongue lightly brushed her jaw line. She leaned further in to him and allowed herself to savour the momentary feeling of safety that his solid form against her own provided.

"I-…," she moaned and tilted her head to aid his access, whilst simultaneously glancing at the watch on his wrist.

"I'm-," His ministrations were slow and deliberate, fingers gripped her waist with bruising force.

"I'm going to be late for stage 2," Kazana whispered against his jaw, then swiftly faced away as she shuffled out of his grasp. The abrupt switch on her part had come as a surprise to Eric but he was quick to prevent her escape as he pinned her down with his larger frame.

"Always trying to run away," he taunted, his lips a hairsbreadth away from her own.

"As I recall it is you who left me on the last occasion."

"I could just keep you here. I do have it within my authority."

"Then who is going to punish me when I fail to turn up?" The wanton words fell easily from her mouth, as though he had coaxed them out of her.

"I suppose I'm just going to have to take care of that as well," his fingers pressed in to the skin of her hips with bruising force. "It seems you do have a penchant for pain."

She reached up to brush her mouth against his before taking his lower lip between her teeth and biting down sharply. Eric hissed and his eyes were like darkened slate as they bore in to hers.

"I could say the same for you," she whispered against his lips. She could feel every taut muscle beneath her fingers as she ran a hand slowly down his arm, using that distraction to lift it away so she could come to a stand.

Kazana darted to the door with her mind in a desire driven haze, relieved that he could no longer cloud her thoughts with his skilful mouth and teasing words. She took a deep breath and turned the handle, unable to resist however, from taking one last glance behind.

Eric had come to a seated position, leaning back on his hands his posture emanated dominance and Kazana knew by the dark promise in his eyes as he watched her leave.

Next time, there would be no running away.

* * *

Vesper raised a sardonic brow as she watched Kazana creep in to the eerie hallway in which the initiates resided. Beside her, Turf lay across three seats rubbing his temples with a groan. She came to sit beside her violet haired friend and faintly returned the smile Tanya sent her from across the hall. Of course the exchange did not go unnoticed by curious green eyes.

"Where've you been stranger?"

"Thought I'd do a little bit of light reading before the fun begins."

"Sounds lame," Vesper smirked and arched back to stretch on her chair, she reminded Kazana strongly of a feline, sly and blasé.

A hum of awareness still resounded through her body at the memory of firm deft hands.

"I guess it does."

Light burst through at the end of the corridor as Lisa exited a small room followed by Four, her face was visibly pale and her hands were trembling when she perched on the end seat.

"That bad, huh?" Turf queried as he continued to massage the sides of his head, Kazana thought back amusedly to the night before where he had stumbled over to her with the offer of some obscure coloured liquid. He'd insisted that he perform for her his 'saucy victory dance' before toppling over flat on his face.

Lisa didn't say a word, just stared straight ahead at the opposite wall with a blank expression. It only occurred to Kazana after the remainder of initiates had undergone their own simulation that her reaction had been surprisingly calm.

Soon she found herself surrounded by a collective of shuddering, panting bodies. No one expression was the same as they rocked back and forth in their seats, but they all had a haunted look in their eyes. Even Solomon sat stock still without the slightest hint of a sneer, it wasn't exactly encouraging.

"Kaz, you're up," Four announced, she came immediately to a stand. The Dauntless Born with the neon red Mohican took her place; his usual cheeky grin was nowhere to be seen.

Following Four in to the room, she slid herself amiably in to the reclining seat and even deigned to fix her instructor with a ready smile.

"I don't suppose I need to tell you what you'll be doing?" he muttered, clearly aware of the extensive details she had been given in advance.

"Does it hurt?" Kaz worried her lip as she saw him approach with a dangerous looking needle, a single drop of fluid seeped from the tip.

"You've already-" he stopped, "right, I forget you never did take the aptitude test did you?"

She relaxed back in to the chair and tried to steady her racing heart.

What if she could not control herself under the serum? Or worse, what if her fears revealed her for what she truly was?

Kazana shuddered and winced as she felt the cool metal enter her skin, waiting for the moment that her consciousness fled and darkness prevailed.

But nothing happened. A few moments passed as she kept her eyes squeezed shut, wondering when the sensation would come, but eventually curiosity won out.

Four was staring at her open-mouthed, his dark brows furrowed in confusion. The expression was actually quite amusing on him.

She slid backwards on her chair with wide horrified eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she lifted an accusing finger to point at him. Concern immediately troubled his features as he rushed towards her.

"What? What is it! Kazana, are you alright?"

"NO! NO! NOT YOU! ANYTHING BUT YOU!" she inched away from him and raised a dramatic hand to her forehead, "IT'S HIDEOUS!"

Four groaned in frustration as Kaz gave up the pretence and started laughing, eyes shining with mirth.

"That wasn't funny," he scolded, though his lips held the hint of a smile.

"Oh come on, it was just too tempting."

She huffed out a heavy content sigh and straightened slightly in her seat, all humour left the conversation as both realized something was very wrong. Four studied the needle in his hand, constantly glancing up at her face as though waiting for some inkling of reaction.

Moments passed in silence before a vivid image flashed through Kazana's mind, a sharp invasion of colour and familiarity that sliced through her thoughts. She recoiled, falling back in the chair with a compulsive twitch as her eyes glazed over and violent jerks seized her body.

For a moment, Four had been ready to snap at her but her entire form was shaking with spasmodic convulsions.

He clambered forward to grab her, trying desperately to snap her out of it but he cringed back as he saw orange foam bubble from her mouth, her body jerked in dry heaves. The frothy liquid spluttered out of her mouth with sickening choking sounds trying desperately to regurgitate the serum.

_Trapped. A swarm of dark green and startling white surrounded her, locking her in place. The tormented wails of a woman reverberated off the walls and disjointed words fell through her mind like shrill cries. The language was not her own tongue and yet, she knew. She knew what they were saying. "NYET!" a broken voice shrieked, "NYET! NYET!" Nobody was listening, why wasn't anybody listening? Machines. So many machines. Her struggles intensified but it wasn't working they were too strong and she was so small, measly hands and cherub cheeks. Glass walls began to close around her, and the fear, it was paralyzing. Numbers, she could hear numbers like cold metallic echoes dragging her to an unknown destination. "Chetyre," the robotic voice called. "Tri," Something clicked in to place, her body seized up in its cylindrical prison. "Dva," her screams were muted behind a thick blockade. "Odin," the tone rung out in finality and every limb became still. Sombre eyes amongst a grief-stricken face were all she saw before all went black._

Kazana lurched out her seat with a pained gasp, desperate to feel crisp air in her lungs. It felt like she'd been underwater, on the brink of suffocation and now the bliss of sweet oxygen filled her body in a sudden embrace.

Something vast and sticky coated her mouth and neck, an ugly shade of orangey brown clung to the white pallor of her skin. Four's eyes darted across her face in alarm; he released his grip on her wrists.

"What did you see?" he asked, "What was your fear?"

Kaz's pants refused to subside as she sunk down in to the chair and thought back to the images that had become a distant blur. But her nostrils still burnt with a heavy medicinal scent.

"It wasn't a simulation," and that cold, calculating voice still echoed in her mind.

"It was a memory."


	16. Affliction

Chapter 16

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation. _

**I tried to resist posting this so soon but the suspense was killing me. Many of you will finish this chapter and wonder if I wrote it with a psychotic grin whilst I twirl the proverbial moustache, and let me tell you, I did. Chapter is Rated M…It really, really is. **

**Disclaimer: *dons leather jacket and leans against a brick wall with a large exhale of smoke* Sup?**

_10 months prior to initiation_

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. This was an idea that Kazana and Edward utilized as they pressed themselves in to the towery, rusted pillars of the city's ferris wheel. The Purification had come sooner this year, it seemed the authorities were growing nervous and sought to eliminate any possible threats hastily.

Years of experience had taught Kazana well as she trailed the Dauntless guards' every step, there was bitter desperation in their hounding this time round, as though they were searching for someone in particular.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Edward muttered. He had until that day been completely unaware of the yearly cleansings and even deigned to scoff when Kazana awoke that morning to gunshots, grabbing him by the scruff to seek escape.

"You'll believe it when you have a bullet between your eyes," she hissed. There was an animosity of sorts between the two which had arisen at Edward's hostile behaviour; his exile had instilled bitterness in him which she'd only been able to handle for so long.

"Actually I'll be dead so it really won't matter then," he snorted and Kazana shot him an irritable glare. The Erudite in him just refused to let up.

The day was beginning to draw to a close, but the guards were thirsting for blood that night and would not stop until it was sated. Taking refuge at the Navy Pier had provided them with a great deal many hiding places but it wasn't long before crazed screeches sounded from the carousel's vicinity.

"Bridge! Now!" Kazana whispered furiously and shuffled her way around the large pillar before breaking in to a sprint. Edward quickly followed and soon the two were running side by side in direction of the city's main bridge, a huge construction that lead straight to The Hub.

"This is crazy! We're supposed to be hiding not painting targets on our backs!"

"They know almost every corner of this city," she panted as their worn boots hit the bridge and it shook under the impact of heavy footfall. "They're expecting us to try and hide."

Coming to a halted skid, Kazana glanced behind just in time to see a swarm of black ascending the momentous structure.

"Left! I know a shortcut, GO!" she almost slid on the very outskirts of the marsh as they pumped their arms and legs in direction of the train tracks. Pure adrenaline and a human will to survive had them tearing forward but Kazana had not accounted for the loose wooden wedge along the tracks that trapped her foot and sent her toppling to the ground.

The guards were fast approaching and despite her panicked attempts she was unable to dislodge her boot from its gravelly prison. For the first time in 7 years, as they drew ever closer, she feared that they would succeed in their hunt.

One of the four in pursuit suddenly lurched forward on to his knees with an agonizing cry, and it wasn't long before his three associates joined him. They all sported identical gun wounds in their upper thighs.

Kazana stared in disbelief, scanning the surrounding area until her eyes landed on Edward. He stood at the edge of the tracks, a threatening picture as he held his arms steady, one eye dead set on the target whilst the other remained hidden.

"Where the hell did you get that?!"

Edward tucked the gun in to the belt of his withered trousers and hoisted her up with a violent pull, they began moving instantly.

"You didn't think I'd actually leave Dauntless without a little self defence did you?" he smirked.

Eventually they found the perfect alcove as the sun began to set, casting away the day's horrors and leaving those remaining to mourn the fatalities.

There was camaraderie amongst the rebels, the fighters, those who knew that where they were strong alone, they were unbeatable together. But for one day a year, an unspoken agreement came in to place that allowed selfishness to be interminable. For one night only, many years ago, jilted and alone, Kazana had given herself over to agonizing tears. Never again.

But Edward knew of no agreement, he knew not of the self-indulgent allowances made on the day of The Cleanse. So he had saved her, rendered his own life null to preserve hers. How could she possibly surmount this fact? When even she could not recognize her own value?

Kazana placed a delicate hand on his chest, she did not smile, but her expression was open and vulnerable and honest.

"Thank you."

He looked down blankly at her hand for a moment, before covering it with his own.

"You're Welcome."

* * *

A day. One single day was all she had to fix the monumental disaster that was her simulation, or rather, lack thereof.

It had not worked, the serum hadn't worked and without it she could not pass stage 2, which meant she would not complete her initiation and everything, _everything_ she had worked so hard to achieve would be destroyed.

Four had been incapable of speaking for an enduring length of time, he had eventually admitted, that never in his three years as a trainer had an initiate rejected the serum. It was simply unheard of. Kazana did not feel special, nor curious about this fact, she was in that moment filled with exhaustive frustration.

That night she informed the others her fears had been so incomprehensibly awful, they were impossible to divulge. This excuse had been accepted, and they finished their meals in near silence.

What few snatches of sleep she got were plagued with glimpses of white fabric, pristine walls and that same artificial voice. It was all saturated with a sickly, choking atmosphere, the way nightmares always are.

The hallway was filled with silence when they all waited once again for their own simulation, and this allowed smaller details to filter through Kazana's comprehension. A single drip of water percolated through the stone ceiling, Wes exhaled singularly through his nose when panicked and every so often a long drawn out scream permeated through the door and reminded each initiate with brutal actuality that their time would soon come.

When she followed Four in to the room for the second time that week, they both knew it would be to undergo 15 minutes of nothing. Kazana had made it intensely clear that the orange fluid seeping from his needle would not come even remotely close to her person. For this reason, he entered her results in manually and examined her still form with poorly disguised pity.

"You know this can't continue," he said.

"Of course," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Your fear landscape will be the determinant, the only way to become Dauntless."

They both knew this, but how terminal it sounded in spoken form.

"We'll find a solution," she assured, without even the slightest hope of assurance.

Four did not argue, not because he believed her, but it was the kind thing to do. Kazana thought that though he did a remarkable job of remaining impassive, he possessed a vast spectrum of commendable traits.

Had she not been so caught up in her own impending doom, it might have occurred to her that neither Four not Tris adhered to the stereotypes of their Faction.

Her duties for that day were done, which left approximately 5 hours before the conventional bedtime. Vesper had informed her, not to her surprise, that yet another party was to take place that night in The Pit and when asked _'what's the occasion?'_ she simply shrugged. _'We're Dauntless, It's what we do.' _

Perhaps it was too much emotion, too much desperation that had Kazana sneaking from the compound that late afternoon to board a passing train. Or perhaps it was a severe lack of feeling, a defensive numbness that accepted her fate and encouraged reckless decisions.

Either way, she'd jumped on the train, she'd jumped off when it passed The Hub and she'd made her way with practiced stealth to the Factionless District.

Azure blue and burnt shades of orange tessellated to create striking patterns in the sky, it was both beautiful and frightening. As though the world that they knew, dull in its regularity, was coming to an end and that was exactly what Kazana wanted. Or at least it had been, when she thought it would end in her favour, now she wasn't so sure.

Evelyn gasped when the young woman walked in to her run down makeshift office that evening. It had now been approximately one month since Kaz stood in that exact spot and listened to her mentor's last minute advice.

She had returned for that same reason, the only solace she had left, someone to guide her way.

"What are you doing here?" Evelyn hissed more emotion than she had ever displayed before and suddenly Kaz understood what Sylvia had meant by an increasing lack of control.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? What if someone had seen you? Were you followed?!"

The gaunt woman threw open the disintegrating door to double check, she remained stationed thereon out.

"The fear serum didn't work on me," Kaz said, there was no need to expand, it was quite clear the implications meant from that statement.

"That's impossible; the fear serum works on everyone. Even the Divergent-"

"The what?"

"You know what, of course you know what, everyone-" she cursed irritably and ran roughened fingers through lifeless brown locks. Where Kazana had once found it difficult to differentiate between her adopted guardians' appearance and her own, the contrariety was now all too clear.

"That's not important right now, what's important is that you return to the compound immediately before anyone notices you're gone."

"Didn't you hear me!? The fear serum-"

"The fear serum _works-on-everyone," _Evelyn drew out each word patronizingly slow. "Try again."

Kazana stood aghast at the illiteracy of her words.

"I remembered something," she blurted, causing the older woman's eyes to narrow in on her.

"Something from my past, I'm not really sure. It was hazy, I was trapped in some sort of machine and-"

"That was your fear! The serum was working on you just like with everybody else!"

"You don't understand! They were speaking another language! And I knew what they were saying, it was a countdown, it was a memory and-"

"ENOUGH!" Evelyn exploded, her frail body radiated fury, voice hoarse and so shrill it made Kazana retreat back in surprise. Immediate hurt flooded through her at the woman's dismissal.

"You _will_ return to the Dauntless Compound. You _will_ undergo the fear simulation. And you _will _complete your initiation to the best of your ability. We have TOO MUCH at stake for you to fail now!"

"I-"

"KAZANA!" Cain's face was a picture of rare delight as he appeared at the doorway then, pushing past Evelyn to embrace the girl in a bone-crushing hug.

"When I saw the black hair from the street I had a suspicion but I never thought…," he trailed off, simply holding her, which he'd seemed to know she needed, even before she had.

Kazana felt her face alight with the first real smile she'd felt in two days, relaxing in to the brawny man's hug. It suddenly occurred to her that something very important was missing.

She pulled away from him with twinkling eyes that had him grinning right back.

"Where's Edward?"

Never had she felt elation dissipate so quickly as when the smile fell from his face in an instant, retreating in to an aphotic abyss, realization was a callous master indeed, when it dawned on her.

She knew.

She just knew.

Cain took one hesitant step towards her, distraught and penitent.

"Kaz-"

"How?" it was a pained exhale, a demand, a need. She _needed_ to know.

"We never m-"

"HOW!?" she roared, scanning desperately the faces of her mentors, unsure whether to give in to her anguish or rage.

The answer was clear when she threw over Evelyn's desk, every muscle contorted and flexed as she poured all of her ferocity in to the act. A carefully assembled sheaf of papers scattered to the ground and neither person dared stop her as she whirled on them, frenetic and trembling.

"HOW!?" she screamed again, "HOW!?" Kazana picked up a moulding glass bottle which would have once provided an escape for her associates and smashed it against the wall.

She battered Cain with her fists, relentless and craving an escape, some release, _something._

"He was shot Kazana," his voice low and regretful as he grasped her wrists. She fell against him shaking, unable to breathe, unable to even cry. Paralyzed in disbelief.

"Who?" she whispered.

"A Dauntless guard," Evelyn supplied for the first time since Cain's arrival. Her voice clipped but an undertone of grievance ran heavy in her words.

The grip on her wrists tightened as the older man's posture stiffened, he turned to their leader with a venomous glare.

"Tell her the truth," he growled.

"Who-What-?" Kaz stammered.

"Now is not the time to interfere, Kazana has come too far to falter now."

Kazana broke out of Cain's grasp to advance on Evelyn, hurt and confusion had her on her last tether and though it was clear who in that room held the authority, Kaz had been trained to become a human weapon. And she wasn't afraid to use that.

"Who killed him Evelyn?" she crept slowly towards the woman, taut and coiled like a spring, only inches were left between them when her guardians' bravado finally faltered.

"When we found his body, he-" she wet her lips nervously, eyes closed in a wince.

"Eric was standing over him with the gun, we have reason to belie-"

"Eric shot him Kazana," Cain snapped, growing impatient with the conversation. "He shot him after they found the weapons supply. They've taken everything. It's already over."

Evelyn's head snapped in his direction. "Don't say that!" she hissed. "Don't you dare tell her that we're done. I say when we're done! Me! We've come too far to let her emotions be compromised n-"

"Stop."

Both heads turned in Kazana's direction, her face had become an inscrutable mask and in that moment it dawned on them how much she had changed.

Her body was a structure of lithe, defined muscle. She was a shadow, a body of black and ready set to attack, only her eyes, burning obsidian gems among white marble, betrayed the intensity of her will.

"This isn't over," she declared. Molten hot rage had cooled to a tremoring simmer, a seething need for revenge. "I don't care whether he held the gun or not. He's the reason Edward's dead."

She addressed both tutors with her next words, and in their glacial severity, the power was all hers.

"Without those weapons we have nothing. I am the one with access to their secrets. I am the one who decides exactly where this mission goes from here on out. This isn't over until I say it is."

Their silence was enough for Kazana; she swept from the room and took with her every trace of control.

* * *

Environmental changes hold great impact on the emotions of man, endorphins are released, a thrumming energy in each and every person as the sun beats down. In that same way, winter has a way of seeping in to one's soul; it chills the bone and forces its victims to find solace in warmth.

Once in a while however, emotions become so powerful, so consuming in their transcendence that not even the omnipotent wonders of the world itself can alter them.

It was this fact in particular, this acute vehemence that simply was, that made Kazana aloof to the freezing forces of nature that night.

Her body seared with passion and yet every step she made was mute, a snarling hunger pulsed through her veins but her face was blank.

It was no startling matter that the party was in full swing when she returned to the compound incensed with venomous intentions. In fact, she had counted on it. She was of course no fool, the train's emptiness was a surprise, but that did not stop her from becoming a shadow, there was every possibility a patrol team would be in place.

No guards impended on her journey however, which meant they too were enjoying the merriments that night. This worked in her favour; it was almost as though fate wanted her to progress. Although, she thought bitterly, had that been the case, her friend would still be alive.

If possible, The Pit was darker than ever on her arrival. Neon lights, which often bore down strikingly fast on every surface, had been dimmed to a sensuous glow.

Kazana felt the bass as slow and as purposeful as her own heartbeat, it provided for her a stable undertone, to which she walked a predatory line, in to the core of the festivities.

She saw him immediately. And it was as though liquid fire had come alive in her veins, it was hatred, it was loathing and it was raw, unadulterated passion.

He was at that moment, the focus of a ravishing woman's attentions. Her flaxen hair, soft and sumptuous, was swept to the side, pretty pink lips pouted and sage green eyes regarded him with irrefutable interest.

And Kazana didn't give a flying fuck.

As providence would have it, a sufficient viewing point made itself innately clear to her and before long she was draped, side on to the corner wall.

Her posture the very paradigm of elegance, every element from her untamed hair to her careless attire was so out of place it was almost vulgar but she wore it well. Not such a shadow upon the wall but an exhibit, something to draw the eye.

And how his eyes were drawn. They slid disinterestedly away from his current subject and on to a creature which emanated, to be candid, a magnetic sexual energy.

What is it that makes feelings of fury so akin to those of aching desire? Neither cared, it seemed, they simply stood in their respective places. Eyes locked in a power play which no one, not the party animals in her wake or the doe eyed darling beside him could impede upon.

Eventually, and it did take a long time, the young woman realized with astonishment that his attentions were not on her. Her words fell upon deaf ears; she followed his gaze to the irritant which caused his distraction.

Kazana was aware when the beauty leaned in to whisper questions in his ear, queries that no doubt involved her own person. She was also aware of his failure to reply. There was no swarming sense of jealousy at the sight, but she did derive satisfaction from his disinterest in the woman and that did not play in to her plan at all.

Slowly, deliberately, she moved her attentions to that of the exit and walked out of The Pit.

The golden haired vixen's jaw dropped when he followed.

It was as though the air was charged with a crackling, heated sense of anticipation. She never turned her head to look behind, only moved with calm deliberation to the towering stone arch.

With practiced familiarity, her hand trailed along the wall beside her, dipping and delving in to the grazing dents. When she reached his door, the presence behind made not a sound but she spun slowly to face him and there was a heartbeat of silence. A moment of deliberation.

He placed his hand on the pad alongside the door, it beeped and clicked open.

It was as though the seconds that passed for her to enter did not exist, for where Kazana was once standing outside the door expectantly, she suddenly was not.

They collided, a violent and frenzied crash as Eric's arms formed a gilded cage around her waist. Suffocating and furious in their grip, she snarled, pushing at solid shoulders to no avail when he slammed her in to the wall.

Heated breaths mingled as he leaned in to kiss her but with a fixed glare she angled her chin away so the determined embrace was met with nothing but air. His eyes narrowed at the challenge, daring her to move again, he veered in once more.

Kaz allowed scornful victory to seep in to her gaze as she evaded his lips. It was then that realization flickered in the Dauntless leaders' expression and his mouth curled slowly in to a carnal smile.

This time when he inclined his head, a husky growl fell hot and heavy in her ear.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were asking to be fucked like an animal."

"Well then it's a good thing we both revel in ignorance," she smirked.

Eric's hands were punishingly tight as he held her to the wall, and unforgiving stone drove brutally in to her back. It was nothing like the teasing, opulent touches of their previous encounter. This was sick, animalistic debauchery, a need to hurt, a need to feel.

Clawed hands grazed her skin as Kazana's vest was ripped off in a singular vicious motion; his eyes were fixed solely on parted lips. Their pants fell heavy in wild depraved lust.

"Is this what you wanted last time? Hmm? To have your pretty little knickers torn off as I fuck you in to the wall?"

To her great ire, Kazana felt a guttural moan leave her throat when he pressed entirely against her; every inch of his hard length was grinding in to her core. Seized by frustration, she scratched definite canals down the skin of his arms; eyes alight with grim repletion at the red marks she left there.

Eric hissed, she leaned forward and a sweeping of thick black hair encased his neck and torso as she growled feverish in his ear.

"I think it's about time you stop saying what you're going to do and, _Just. Do. It."_

His hand fisted in her hair with a savage wrench, flaring jolts of pain and pleasure shot through her as he used it to force her in to the wall. She gasped as her stomach and breasts made contact with the cold surface, Eric's free hand pressed tight against her lower back and she arched in to it, revelling in the cruel sensations.

It all seemed to happen so fast and yet her body was achingly aware, and every motion happened with such filthy, sharp clarity. The flitting sound of his zipper, and the rough scraping of material descending her legs as he left her in little more than the skimpy material covering the crux of her thighs.

She braced two hands on the wall, nails digging painfully in to the stone when she felt thick solid muscles form a prison around her ribs. Large, roughened hands kneaded painfully at the flesh of her breasts and she could not contain a fervid moan when his fingers pinched and twisted her nipples.

Neither fear, nor doubt plagued her mind in that moment, just an insatiable, furious need to be filled to the hilt, she needed to fucking scream her lungs raw and writhe and shiver and sob.

Eric didn't disappoint, fuck she knew he wouldn't disappoint, not when his breaths were smoky sweet intoxicating pants in her ear and her scalp still burned deliciously from his relentless grip on her hair.

Then his hand released its taunting constraint on her breasts leaving impossibly hard peaks in its wake and trailed down the smooth skin of her stomach. Kaz shivered when his thumb brushed teasingly over her sensitive bud, rubbing the flesh through her knickers in hard, hedonic strokes.

Hissing in impatience she arched back in to him once more, moaning when she felt the gratifying impact of flesh on flesh. He was so achingly hard for her and what semblance of control he'd had seemed to be destroyed when strong hands wrenched the last piece of material away with a violent rip that yanked painfully at her throbbing centre in the process.

And then he was pulling at her hair with tearing force, and sharp teeth pierced her shoulder as he sank into her with a shuddering masculine groan. She exhaled shakily when overcome with the sensation of being so impossibly filled because fuck he was huge and it, it…

It hurt.

It fucking hurt like nothing she'd ever felt before.

And it was exactly what she needed.

Kaz felt him seize up then, and understood in that moment that he was going to try and take it slow. She couldn't have that. He pulled away in an infuriatingly gradual motion; she pushed back instantly, forcing him to growl through gritted teeth.

The fist in her hair tightened with renewed force and then he surged forward and a clawed hand was grasping her thigh and pulling her back in to the movement, her eyes squeezed shut as her mind was so exquisitely clouded with lust and pleasure.

But then he stopped. Withdrawing to spin her around and he was hiking one leg up to wrap around his firm, taut waist. Kazana waited for him to continue, fuck she was on the verge of begging for him to continue. Yet he just kept himself positioned at her entrance and waited until she finally opened her eyes and gasped as his own bore down on her, black and searing with desire.

Then he sunk in to her and they both moaned in to each other's mouths, and then his cock was pounding in to her with rough, bruising force, and fucking hell she was so wet for him. Eric's body was hard and unyielding as it gripped her own but his eyes, fuck his eyes were burning for her.

No he couldn't do that, this was supposed to be cold, a means to an end, nothing more.

But the friction was so deliciously perfect and _fuck, _she felt him angle himself to go oh so much deeper and the tip of his cock hit her cervix, completely filling her and that was it, that was the bliss she had so long been awaiting, he fit so fucking well, and her body was beginning to tremble with an unfamiliar sensation, a pulsing hot vibration that burst through her skin like white hot needles, and then his lips were on hers, swallowing her moans as he shuddered his own release.

They came together; the kiss was an open mouthed gasp, a collision of greed, craving and fervent desire. She hadn't even realized her hands had come to grasp his hair until the feel of flesh endured under her tearing nails. His own grip never relented on her waist and thigh, holding her to him as their pants fell hot and laboured.

Kazana wanted so badly to escape his silvered eyes, to clutch on to what control she had left, keep everything impersonal.

But his molten steel gaze forced her to stare back at him, and it willed her to open up completely, and she knew he could see every damn thing. Scorching lust, insurmountable rage and then, finally,

Pain.

Kaz collapsed in to his arms with an anguished sob, everything that had been suppressed up until that moment broke through with agonizing entirety. Firm hands guided her other thigh to wrap around his waist as Eric carried her though another arch, depositing her on to the swarthy sheets.

Pale, gaunt fingers sought out the cool relief of a stray pillow; she sunk her face in to the cushioned surface and allowed the soft material to muffle her shaking sobs. For a long time, they did not cease, uncontrollable grieving gasps reverberated through her body. It was as though her entire being was a plethora of agony, all of the heartache in the world had come to reside within her and now it bled out in to dusky silk. The bed did not sink down with an additional weight, no hushing sounds or soothing touches eased her pain. And for that she was glad.

In the vast confines of the Dauntless compound, a young woman cried herself to sleep, alone.

* * *

Her awakening brought with it merciless clarity. All-encompassing exhaustion spoke of stolen hours, what rest she'd had, had been brief but mercifully barren.

She tumbled ungracefully from the bed; trembling arms shot out to steady her fall but the overwhelming soreness which savaged her ever step played a heavy reminder of exactly what had occurred that night.

The first thing to note, was that she, Kaz, Dauntless initiate and undercover rebel, had had rough, brutal sex with the leader of said Faction,

That was…permitted.

The second was that she Kazana, factionless orphan and reluctant spy, had experienced a phenomenal orgasm at the hands of the man, who'd killed her best friend,

This was unbearable.

A sliver of light crept through the open arch to illuminate a dark residue on her inner thighs, blood. Searching hands trailed the walls to lead in to a further alcove; the entire room was lit up immediately to reveal a great marbled tub. It did not entice her in however as she made haste to clean the evidence.

Merciful fate had kept Eric away for the time being, and she would not pass up on that allowance. Scrubbing with more vigour than was likely warranted, Kazana glanced up at her harsh reflection and willed herself to see emptiness, regret, a solitary anchor with which she could be assured nothing had changed.

Yet how could her face betray such emotions when they did not exist? It had been…he had been, sensational. Resentment grew within her as she thought back to intense grey eyes, what right did he have to force her to feel?

Kaz stormed from the room to grasp haphazardly at a folding of thick cotton, shoving it over her head, the material engulfed her, coming down to mid-thigh. What right did he heavy to f-force that and, just…leave?

But no it was a good thing, a blessing even. A sign from the deities that it wasn't over, the plan would continue on and she would grow to flourish in the art of deception.

Eric was too fundamental a figure in her plan for it to crumble now, he essentially was the plan.

So they would continue on with this…affair of sorts.

And such sensitivities as she had displayed earlier would never occur again.

Ever.

Covert steps through the door did not stopped a sudden figure from colliding in to her; she was shocked from her reverie, and immediately cursed internally that such an event should not have been foreseen.

"Max!"

"Kazana," he smiled and she waited with bated breath for the moment in which he glanced down, eyes narrowing in distaste as he questioned the nature of her undress.

No such look was received, he just continued to gaze warmly at her, a steady hand remained fixed on her shoulder.

"It just so happens that you are exact the person I was looking for!"

"I…sir?"

He did not correct her.

A moment's walk led them to another door; the central domain of the leader's living quarters. A macabre sense of unease unfurled within Kaz as he leaned on the touchpad and waited for the process of command.

This man was inviting her scantily dressed self in to his quarters in the middle of the night. Naturally, instinct instilled a readiness to flee. Halfway through the entrance, he regarded her tense form.

"I have for you a serum that will work."

Recoiling back in to the opposite wall, it was then that she became convinced this was a nightmare. Because Max could _not_ know about the fear serum, he couldn't know that her simulations had failed.

Because Max-

Was analyzing every move she made with a glassy look in his eye.

He held himself in a poised business- like fashion that was startlingly averse to his usual hunched stance; so much so Kazana was surprised she had not seen it before…

And he'd called her by her given name.

Which meant he was under the influence of somebody else.

"Who are you?"

His lips curved in a wry smile. "You are a clever girl. Who I am is not important right now, I believe the real question at hand, is who you are."

"I do-What do you want? Why are you following me?!"

"So many queries and quite the surplus of answers I can assure you. If you would only spare me a few moments of your time?" He beckoned towards the entrance once more and against her better judgement, she followed.

Everything struck her as disturbingly sterile upon her first glance, no one thing within the room existed to serve a congenial purpose. It was the very essence of practicality.

"Please Kazana, if you would take a seat."

He had already settled himself in to a sleek, lengthy desk which resembled closely that of the conference room's table. The synthetic smile that was trained on her as she sat opposite him did little to quell her nerves.

"As I can imagine you are simply teeming with curiosity but I am afraid that my job at present is to provide you with one solution only."

Kaz winced at the sound of metal landing upon the smooth surface with a resounding bang, he slid a silver case to her. Clouded eyes scanned her reactions methodically as she unclipped the box and opened it to reveal 6 vials of burnt orange liquid.

"I suspect you know why these are necessary."

"The simulation failed. But that doesn't explain who you are, and what it is you want with me."

He clasped his hands together and leaned back in to the opulent leather chair.

"Oh dear child that is quite true! The situation remains however that you are in quite a precarious place are you not? It would be a tremendous shame were your secret to be uncovered hmm? A factionless young girl living within the Dauntless compound, a sheep among wolves if you will!"

It had been established that this was not the man he appeared to be but to see her such information fall from the mouth of a Dauntless leader with such insouciance. It shook her to the bone.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Oh darling girl no!" he leaned in to her; sweet endearments looked menacing on his tongue.

"It's just; we appear to be at a bit of a crossroads you see? We, that is my people and I have invested quite a substantial amount in the preservation of this city and well, to be quite frank my dear, you and your _cause_ are causing us quite a _stir._"

"So what you're suggesting is…"

"A lifetime of comfort," he beamed, "In exchange for your absolute cooperation that you will cease to rally the rebellion any further, we give you these serums." He clicked the box shut. "You will complete your initiation without a single hiccup and society can go on as it has done for eons!"

"And if I don't comply?"

His smile faltered to a grimace, Kaz thought it the most honest expression she had seen from him yet.

"I'm afraid my darling that we simply cannot allow you to endanger the system."

"So you'll kill me?"

Pierced brows rose in an instant as his eyes widened in horror.

"Good lord darling, no! You are after all my greatest success," he eyed her fondly and it seemed to her then the surrealism of the day's events had numbed her to the startling reality this man was presenting.

"It was you in the memory, in the white. You were there."

He sighed, "I am sorry it had to happen the way it did Kazana, such a sweet girl you were. Such a shame."

The chair scraped against slate with an agonizing squeal.

"WHO ARE YOU!?"

"I'm afraid I cannot disclos-"

"TELL ME WH-"

A large hand slammed down heavily on the table as he looked up at her, he inhaled sharply but came again to fix her with a simpering smile. There was however a glint in his eye, a warning.

"This," he pressed a taut finger in to the box, it whitened with the impact. "Is your last chance Kazana. Take the serum. And go."

She gaped at him for a few moments in disbelief, but was resolute in her answer.

"No."

He studied her for a few moments with narrowed eyes; eventually however he shut them with a deep breath.

"Very well."

Silence passed between the two for what seemed like minutes, unbeknownst to her she had been tremoring violently, a perspiration of sweat fell past her brow as she tried to calm her breaths.

When Max opened his eyes, they were in all their clarity, burning with acid fury.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" he growled and Kazana knew in that instant that she was being addressed by the Dauntless leader.

"I didn…I don-"

"WHAT DID YOU DO!" he roared, she was winded as he slammed the table away and in to her ribs. Choking for breath she retreated clumsily from his advances, Kazana threw herself across the table, slipping her fingers in to the handle of the box before bolting towards the door.

An agonized scream tore from her throat as he ripped in to her hair and used it to slam her face in to the wall. She used the momentum of her spin to smack the iron case in to his head. Max staggered back, nose bloodied and his jaw clenched, he accelerated forward once more.

Waiting till the very last second she stepped to the side, he went face first in to the wall. Wasting no time Kaz wrenched open the door.

Stone walls, intricate patterns, descending halls, they all blurred in to one as she sprinted to a destination she did not know. There was not a single person in sight, the corridors were deserted and it made it all the easier for her to hear the pounding echoes of his boots.

She was suddenly submerged in to glimmering darkness, flickering's of blue light bounced off the uneven walls. A crescendo of deafening crashes and thunderous roars rendered her captive to the divine mighty of The Chasm.

Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, her throat choked up in terror as a solid form knocked her to the ground. Max's fists slammed in to her jaw, her temple, her stomach, it was a tirade of untameable wrath.

The box slid from her grasp, it teetered dangerously close to the bridge and Kazana cried out as another blow was sent to her mouth. Blood cascaded from her nose and mingled with pooled saliva as his hits refused to cease.

She was snatched up, bent backwards on to the railings as he hovered dangerously over her. Every muscle in her body trembled and ached and she could not summon the strength to stop him as he dangled her over the mortal stream.

Strands of hair flew wildly around her face as the gale force winds hammered at her bruised flesh. Syrupy drops of crimson slid down snow white skin before falling in to the icy waters where she would soon meet her fate.

Yet in those last few moments, the only voice that called to her was Cain's.

'_Listen to the way your body reacts.'_

He was using the entirety of his weight to tilt her against the bars, one last push and she would be fall head first in to the murky depths.

'_can you feel how your movement is affected?'_

A pattern could be found in anything, a formula, a code, a rhythm. There was beauty in chaos; his breaths fell on her face in measured counts, a distant thrum sounded in the rushing water.

She shut her eyes and relaxed under him, Max threw her forward and as her body moved up she wrapped her legs around his hips in a vice like grip and held on to the bars with fierce tenacity.

They both went hurtling over the edge, Kaz released her hold instantly. Clammy hands trembled on the bars as she hung contorted on the edge and an ear piercing scream was swallowed by the immersive void.

With one last modicum of power she clambered over the rails and collapsed in a shuddering heap on to the bridge. Kaz's chest heaved as dampened locks of hair clung to pallid skin, her tongue darted out to wet the cracked skin of her lips, blue and sickly in their guise.

A pulverized hand reached out quavering to hold on to the side as she searched the crashing waves below. It was as though nothing had taken place at all. The Chasm remained the same, a resplendent invariable. But a lifetime of searching could not erase the magnitude of what she had done.

She had just killed a Dauntless leader.


	17. Evasion

Chapter 17

_Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation._

**Many of you will have questions as to where this story is going from hereon out, I'd like to explain that I am a huge advocate for symbolism, almost everything I write, I write for a reason. I'm also very impressed at how perceptive you all are, your theories are a joy to read so please continue to post them and review. One more thing, this plot is about to get _wild_. **

**_Disclaimer: You know what else I don't own other than Divergent? A Kawasaki Ninja 300. I'd like to possess both. _**

* * *

Survival of the fittest was a notion that under no circumstance, not in the thousands of years that it remained an evolutionary necessity, prospered on emotion.

In other words, logic and rationality are placed on the back burner. Heads in their hands, groaning in protest as emotion tears through existence and destroys everything in its wake.

If anyone were to recognize this, it would be he with the mind of an Erudite. They of all people knew the infallible merit in sense better than anyone. It was laughable really; that the Dauntless thought bravery was their saving grace during the fear simulations.

To see things from a clearer perspective, lower the heart rate and ultimately suspend one's terror, what ideology was this but that of a logical being?

In actuality, Eric's calves seared with a familiar burn as he walked to the Factionless District. The lapels of his overcoat fought against the howling wind and a fly did land with an irritating _zzzt_ on his cheek before he crushed it swiftly between two fingers and flicked it in to the swirling atmosphere.

These were facts.

He had not felt a sentimental pull to the girl, who haunted his fleeting dreams. It had been a fierce need to fuck nothing more. He didn't feel the need to hold her afterwards and bear the brunt of tears as opposed to his soaking pillow. And he most certainly, DID NOT, _feel_, a mounting fucking confusion at the fact she had severely played with his mind.

Scratch that last, she hadn't played with his mind, he hadn't felt a damn thing.

And if anyone endeavoured to argue that matter, they most certainly _would _feel the crushing force of his fist in their face.

If the information were of any interest to anyone, and it certainly was not because it was a gruelling process even for the Dauntless, it takes approximately 5 hours and 25 minutes to walk to the Factionless District.

Eric had done just that, it had not been his intention to reside there; in fact even for a man of his size it was a foolish thing to do. Namely because the people who lived there would, given the opportunity, gut him like a fish and wear the entrails as jewellery.

But hey, Eric wasn't an Erudite. So, the point was moot really wasn't it?

There was a scampering of paws as steel capped boots marched up a creaking set of stairs, it was a warehouse which he had somehow in all of his years managed to miss. It seemed fitting that he should explore the place now.

It was nothing special; Eric found that the Factionless really could not be more unremarkable. If a word were to be absolutely essential to sum up their existence, that would be it. A littering of dirtied glass lay at his feet when entering on to the top floor, he was for a moment a little intrigued at the sizeable table strewn on to the floor. How in the hell had they got that?

He reprimanded himself; they had just confiscated an arsenal of weapons from these people, what surprise was there in a table?

Fragmented light fought to illuminate the room through solid planks of wood on the window. Closer inspection revealed a ledge of sorts on which he could sit. That is if he were a couple of feet shorter and 100 lbs lighter. It proved fitting for a child.

Eric came instead to lean against panelled glass, odd splinters scored his back but the discomfort went unnoticed. The new angle afforded him a curious sight.

Decaying wallpaper curled dejectedly, its floral pattern casting a morbid undertone. But what caught his eye were the three lines joint together in jagged canals as though carved with a fingernail to form the letter K.

It was unsettling to say the least, a horror cliché which spoke of desperate cries for help.

Though for Eric it was a key to his subconscious, reminders reminders reminders.

Kazana's name begins with a K, the thought hovered in the back of his mind, he refused to allow it to come to the forefront, to form in to words even in his head. It was just a dismantled thought.

In the light of dawn he vehemently refused to walk the way he'd come, the train journey back took 47 minutes.

If he had known what he would be returning to, he would have damn well gone on foot…and taken his time.

* * *

It was no wonder that facing one's fears was a compulsory requirement of initiation when a corpse hung suspended from a great harness above The Chasm. Rivulets of water continued to fall from its lifeless form, sliding down bloodless skin, a teasing drip down frozen lips before returning to the eternal pool.

"There will of course have to be an investigation," Tori mused as she and her fellow leader stared up at the drenched body.

"Your knack for pointing out the obvious never ceases to amaze," Eric drawled.

"This is serious! I-Fuck! I can't believe this is-Fuck!"

"We'll also have to find a replacement. Perhaps one with a cleaner mouth."

He was met with a seething scowl from the older woman; he fixed her with a customary smirk. It was of course a mammoth inconvenience that his associate had died on him; Jeanine would consider it a hindrance and increase the workload, a thorough investigation would further monopolize his time and the only person who had the blasted qualifications for the job was-

"Sloane," Tori's face lit up in a ridiculous smile.

He'd sooner jump in after Max than admit it to a living soul, but Eric would have preferred The Stiff.

* * *

"Play it again."

"For the last time man, nothin's happening."

It wasn't an infrequent occurrence that Eric questioned the competence of his Dauntless soldiers.

But it was times like this, as he watched the slovenly imbecile before him wipe cake covered fingers on the desk and scroll through surveillance, that he truly considered tightening initiation procedures.

He had ordered Tori to lead a thorough search in Max's quarters, to which he received a sneer of protest that she didn't take instructions from him.

From the outside in, this was of course true but there existed a hierarchy within all of the Factions, and it remained that they with the most powerful connections had the final say.

It was indisputable that with Max's demise, Eric had inherited this right. So he had simply arched an eyebrow and watched as she huffed and stormed off to conduct the search. Leaving just one last form of evidence.

"Then leave, I'll take care of it myself."

The young guard couldn't have looked happier to be relieved of his duties and left Eric to examine the footage alone.

* * *

_5 hours earlier_

Years of mistreatment would remain branded in to Tobias' psyche like an internal scar. These atrocities had without a doubt hardened him to the whirlwind life of a Dauntless soldier, and as such it had worked heavily in his favour.

Selflessness had been expected of him for 16 years of his life, to be selfless meant giving no thought to oneself, including the indulgence of vulnerabilities. Abuse and suffering was hushed up, swept under the carpet and when the time finally came for all of that to end, it was only too late.

Or at least, it had seemed that way. Two years had passed in cold indifference, but she had saved him, and still he did not know how to fully comprehend the feeling of being entirely content.

It was it in whole contentment that they lay now, in the reclined chair of the control room with Tris curled up on his lap half asleep and smiling.

They were surrounded by screens, yet oblivious to the content as numerous cameras surveyed their given breadth, Entrances, Exits, The Pit, Kitchens, Residences, and The Chasm. No corner went unnoticed under the glassy lens.

"Why did you have to take the night shift," she murmured in to his shoulder. Nestling her head further in to the crook of his neck.

"I don't really have a say, it's my job," he rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes.

The workload that evening did not come as a bother, he had soon grown tired of the constant raves the Dauntless obsessed over and their shared time together was a rarity that he fully intended to take advantage of.

"Mmnnngg screw your job."

"I'd-"

The handle of the door shot down as though trembling with a solid weight, both trainers jumped apart when it flew open and a dark figure collapsed in to the room. Her body shook violently, charcoal hair clung in dampened strands to her face as she stared up at them wide eyed and whitened.

"Kazana?!"

* * *

_Present_

It was on the fifteenth long, scrupulous read that Eric finally fisted the paper in his hands and released a frustrated growl.

"You're sure you found this there? Nobody planted it in his quarters?"

Tori rolled her eyes and tore the note from his hands.

"For the last time Eric it was _in his safe. _ The only people with access to that are you and I, we saw you leave on the surveillance tape and it obviously wasn't me. Did you not find anything in the control room?"

"Nothing, it's as though the footage was on a loop."

With a loud exhale, her head thumped forward on the wall in frustration.

"Think he messed with the footage himself? Didn't want anyone to see the jump?"

Eric eyed her shrewdly, "Do you?"

The case was closed, there was nothing that either of the could do to reverse that now. With such solid evidence, the investigation could be considered complete.

And yet…it just didn't add up.

"No."

* * *

Breakfast and a side of scandal. It was only to be expected that news would travel quickly, the food hall was chaos as Dauntless members gathered together in a frenzy, hungry for further details.

Eric knew that once the savage thrill of a shocking fatality wore off, fear of the unknown would take its place. For the unexpected death of the Dauntless leader was nothing short of an enigma.

He was also aware that it would be up to him to unite the faction and instil hope when doubt begun to spread, but to glorify the suicide of the man who'd led them thus far, it was unthinkable.

His eyes were searching before his mind had begun, falling instantly on cascading waves of jet black hair. That sight alone was enough to taunt him with vivid images of the previous night.

Damn but she'd been fucking gorgeous, skin smooth, taut and marred with signs of his uncontrollable lust. Those stubborn eyes, dark and furious as he tried in vain to possess her mouth and the sounds of her ecstatic moans still sounded in his ears.

That had been until the sensual sighs turned to sobs.

Fuck knew he was still trying to figure that one out.

Irritation flared up as once again her presence broke through any semblance of rational thought, but it was nothing to the rage he felt when she turned to meet his gaze.

* * *

There were three things in which Kazana could take comfort.

The first, she had the serum that would allow her to pass initiation, and it was now in Four's possession.

The second, she had successfully destroyed any and all evidence that linked her to Max's death.

The third, she was still alive.

Solacing thoughts indeed, then came the powerful tirade of doubt that crushed those thoughts in to the ground.

A leader of Dauntless was dead because of her and the person leading the investigation into his demise happened to be the very same she had shamelessly seduced.

There was no guarantee that the serum would even work, it had been supplied to her by the same people who had stolen a man's freedom of will and watched as he tried to kill her in cold blood.

And should these same people, in their almighty omniscience reveal the very secret she had worked three years of her life to hide, death was an absolute certainty.

So, "No Wes, I'm not hungry."

"There is an array of pastries surrounding us and Kaz is not hungry. We're all doomed."

_You have no idea._

"I think I just had too much to drink last night."

"Weird, I didn't see you around, and what did you do? Get in to a catfight?" Vesper grinned and reached out to prod her swollen lip; Kazana grabbed her finger with lightning speed and shot a warning look.

"No, I didn't get in to a catfight, can we move on?" Years of training to go undercover and she hadn't thought of a cover story for the bruises which covered the breadth of her face and neck, not to mention a nasty black eye. _Fuck._

"Yeah, can someone please tell me what the hell happened to Max?" _Double fuck._

"What's to tell? Sounds like suicide to me." Lisa mumbled through a mouthful of apple.

"Who cares? He was a right shithead," Turf chipped in, earning scandalized gasps further down the table. He turned to them with a wink and a salute.

Never had she been so eager to face her own fears as when the conversation took an unsavoury turn. Kazana decided to excuse her silence on a decided fascination with the people filtering out of the hall.

It was typical that as she craned round to feign this supposed interest, Eric's eyes were the first she saw. Paralyzing fear struck her as his expression morphed to that of fury, he knew.

He had to know. It was why he approached with such deadly fluidity, why silence befell the group as his molten stare remained fixed on her, and it was why they all scattered like wildfire when he addressed them coldly.

"_Leave."_

Those who had remained lingering in the hall made their way out with haste; she was now sat alone and unable to meet his eyes when he towered over her with palms flat on the table.

"How?" his voice was deadly quiet and it turned her blood to ice.

"I didn't, he just…"

"_He?"_ Eric hissed.

Dread kept the words lodged in her throat, the end tasted bitter on her tongue.

"What happened?"

She swallowed shakily, "He was just…outside the door I-"

A heavy fist came down on the table causing her to jump out of her skin, she almost toppled from the bench when his large palm steadied her, it was warm on her back and she shivered involuntarily.

"Where is he? I'll kill him, I'll fucking kill him." He growled, and the hissed words were cool, vicious breaths in her ear.

"W-what?"

"Don't lie to me Kazana."

He didn't know… it was the bruises, he was furious about the bruises! She breathed a heavy exhale in relief, though it looked to him like a pained sigh.

So remiss was she in the falsity of his assumption that she had forgotten he was under an entirely different impression. One which showed fierce concern for her safety, and did he just…

"Did you just call me Kazana?"

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Tell me who it was that attacked you," he said then, almost deceptively calm, but Kaz heard the lethal tone in his voice.

Thoughts and images flashed through her mind as she tried to construct something, anything.

"I was…it was outside my door, the urm, outside the dorms, I didn't see them."

"Them? You said it was a he."

"I heard a man's voice, there were too many of them to fight off."

He didn't speak for a while, simply examined her face with sharp, glacial eyes.

"You were ranked second after stage one?"

"Uh...Yes?" What? What did that have to do with anything?

"Are you excelling in the simulations?"

Kazana blanched, which lie would cause less damage?

"Y-yes."

Eric inhaled sharply and leaned away, fingers taut and whitened as they clawed in to the table. It seemed like an eternity before he stepped back and she felt his incensed gaze scan her form once more. He turned from her without another word, and stormed out in silence.

* * *

Tortured screams had whittled away to mere whimpers that severed the still quiet of the corridor. The uneasiness that had surrounded the initiates like a toxic cloud did not disperse but it had become bearable, and some even deigned to hold conversations.

There was little that could be done to erase the trauma of the last few hours and though her nerves were shot to pieces, Kazana contented herself in delicately sipping a cup of water before her own simulation took place.

Wes watched her with wide eyed interest before finally speaking.

"Are you and Eric getting it on?"

She choked on her drink and jets of water spluttered on to his face.

"WHAT?!"

He shrugged hefty shoulders and wiped his cheek, mouth tilted in a lopsided grin.

"He seemed very eager to speak to you; I felt a lot of…" Wes leaned in and wiggled his fingers in a spooky motion. "Seeeeexuaaal tension."

Vesper, who had been observing the exchange with undisguised amusement, snickered at Kazana's horrified expression.

Blinking in surprise, Kaz tried to train her mouth in to a sardonic smirk.

"Did he really look happy to see me?"

Wes frowned.

"Well…come to think of it, no."

She tutted and observed them with overtly keen interest.

"If anyone should be addressing their unresolved sexual tension, it's the two of you. Oh that's me, bye!" Kazana left them in open mouthed shock and sauntered in to the room after Four.

What mirth she had derived from their expressions dissipated in moments as the door clicked shut behind her. The same metal chair was set in the centre of the room, next to the same machine beside the same computer screen.

But Four held three vials in his hand.

"I thought we could try tackling more than one fear today, now this should be enough ser-"

"No."

He glanced up at her then, brows furrowed in confusion.

"No? Kazana you've lost crucial time…"

"Four! For all we know those vials are filled with poison, I just barely escaped getting throw-" she cut herself off and glanced nervously at the twitching lens in the corner of the room. All the more wary of them now that she had seen the vast screens in the control room.

"I get that, I do, but you're facing your landscape in one week! You haven't even tackled one fear!"

The shimmering fluid bubbled angrily as he spun round to attach the needle, it looked like liquid fire.

She lowered herself in to the chair, jaw clenched as she tried to channel her fear through anger, the sharp metal was a hairsbreadth from her neck when she flinched away and the glass crashed on to the floor.

"KAZ!" Four exclaimed as they stared in horror at the hissing liquid, pooled on to the floor.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just, fuck I just don't trust them Four I-"

He grasped her wrist, his dark eyes stern and sincere.

"Neither do I, none of this makes any sense but it's the only choice you have and…Kaz if what you've told me is true then if they wanted to kill you they'd have done it already."

She stared back at him for some time before swallowing heavily and giving a terse nod.

"Okay…okay then I'll do them. My fears, I'll do all of them."

Four's eyes widened as he fixed up another needle.

"I didn't say you ha-"

"I know. But I've already wasted one vial, and I just want to get them over and done with."

He remained frozen in indecision as she settled back in to the chair and closed her eyes.

"Just do it Four."

Lingering seconds passed before she felt the needle pierce her skin with a biting pinch. And then nothing at all.

* * *

One rarely experiences true darkness. Pure and undiluted by light, even with closed eyes there is always a heated fluorescence which teases the lids. It was in complete and wholesome darkness however, that Kazana stood in a state of disorientation.

It was a weightless sensation, as though she were nothing more than her consciousness. But such an idea was negated as she staggered to her knees with a craving that was painfully familiar. She became mere bones, gaunt flesh and bones and the hunger, it was excruciating.

It was as though all the sustenance in the world would not satisfy her, it was too strong, a ripping, tearing force that slaughtered her organs and crushed frail limbs. A scream tore through her throat but it came out as nothing more than a choking gasp, dry, her throat was so agonizingly dry.

She writhed on the floor in weak, aching twitches as the emptiness flowed from the inside out. Kazana took one final gasp of air, allowing sweet oxygen to soothe her roughened throat and fill the starving void.

Her lungs felt replete with the black swirling mist, it tasted like the most delicious elixir and it was rejuvenating. She inhaled another wholesome breath, and then another. Light began to fill the room in filtering bursts until finally; she had completely consumed the darkness.

There was a distinct shift as natural light filtered in to the room like a warm embrace; she was lying on an oak wooden floor. A soft glow illuminated her skin until it was almost translucent, and her hair was splayed out along the surface, like a dark shimmering mane.

The walls were windows, every single one, and somehow she just knew, that they all posed a different destination. A blissful smile touched her lips as she thought, how would the open breeze feel on her face? Warm? Crisp?

Kazana slowly shut her eyes. An elated laugh bubbled up through her, a giddy joy that spread all way to her fingertips. Overcome with the need to explore, to find out the answers to her questions she jolted up.

Yet nothing happened. Not a single muscle would move, it was as though a magnetic force was pulling her to the ground and not her arms, her torso not even her toes would twitch.

In vain she struggled, thrashing and clawing but it was all in her mind and panic began to surge through like an acidic wave. The glass became thick and clouded until she was surrounded by solid white walls, too white, it was far too white.

The panic turned to sickly terror as her arcane prison became visible, thick metal straps that held her in to place within a great white tomb.

She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing, willing that it would stop, that everything would just end but there were people, so many people and it all smelt so chemical, so harsh it choked her every sense and a man was coming towards her and he was just a figure, a blurry form of white, so much white and he was smiling and the walls were beginning to close and the machine, it encased her, it imprisoned her and he had a voice and she knew that voice she knew it. Letters, she saw letters, RPTS, the echoing voice began to sound and she didn't have time, and there she saw them on the walls, on their coats, everywhere, RPTS, RPTS, RPTS. There just wasn't enough _time._

* * *

Someone was screaming. A shrill, grating sound that penetrated her mind like a blade it was so powerful. Kazana was trembling violently, her throat burned and then she knew it was her, omitting the ear-splitting cry that had Four backed in to the corner with his hands clapped over his head.

She drew in a haggard breath and heard his shaky sigh of relief, he lowered his hands warily. The vision was gone but the terror remained, her face and neck were damp with tears.

"W-what just…happened," she shuddered. Four crept over to the computer screen, scanning its contents with alarmed eyes.

"It started out readable, information was sent to the computer using the Amygdala but then something changed-" he stared at the computer shaking his head.

"The transmission became distorted; I could barely see a thing and then suddenly it just cut out."

"You mean like last time?" Kazana clenched her fists, desperate to release her anger out on something, like that useless fucking machine.

"No, it was working. I saw it. Your brain patterns show a change in stimulus, I can't be sure but it seemed to have activated the Hypothalamus. Maybe something triggered a memory, overpowered the hallucination somehow, I'm not sure."

"So those weren't all my fears? There's still more it just got interrupted?"

He walked over to open the door, as though desperate for fresh air, a new atmosphere. She saw then that he looked truly exhausted, it was difficult experiencing one's own fears and he had to witness hundreds.

"I guess we'll see tomorrow," he replied, rubbing his eyes, "You should get some sleep."

Her body ached to reach the welcoming splendour of her mattress, to cocoon herself in billowy blankets and shove two fingers up at the waking world.

Kazana dragged herself from the seat, limbs still stiff from the savage beating she'd received the previous night.

With each step towards the dormitories she allowed herself to glorify every detail of what was to come, the cool relief as she peeled off her training gear, a chilled pillow against her cheek and if life were in any way merciful, dreams that involved a surplus of food.

She greeted Lisa with a smiling yawn, and walked the rest of the way to her bed in a gentle haze. The sight that greeted her was sobering.

"Lisa…where's my stuff?"

* * *

**BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG. **

"ERIC OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"

The door in question was a towering metal structure of bolts and locks which led the way in to his living quarters. With each wham of Kaz's fist, echoing, metallic groans resonated but ultimately she was the one damaged as her hand began to throb painfully.

"I NEED MY THINGS, YOU CAN'T JUST KICK SOMEONE OUT IN THE MIDDLE ON THE NIGHT, I NEED AN EXPLANATION, ERIC OPEN THIS DOOR!"

She had made her with renewed energy to the Dauntless Leader's domain having received discomforted looks from the other initiates.

No reason had been given for the absence of her belongings, only that a gathering of guards had taken every last thing and left without a word. Kazana was in no doubt of the incentive, and she would not leave without a fighting chance.

After what seemed like an eternity of thunderous knocking, she resided herself to the fact he would not answer and rested her forehead against the chilled surface. Her clenched fist fell heavy and defeated on the wall beside her, palm smacking against smooth glass.

Beep.

The door swung open and it took quick, fumbling steps for Kaz to find her balance. She stood in the centre of the Dauntless leader's domain in a protective hunch, scanning the room with narrowed eyes.

Creeping confusion turned to full blown bafflement when she saw two steel cases beside his training equipment, within them she found her clothing, toothbrush and crumpled bed sheets.

"I did wonder if you'd figure it out," a deep voice sounded from behind her and she turned sharply to see Eric standing at the open door with crossed arms and a quirked eyebrow.

"Figured what out?! Is this your idea of a joke before you throw me out?"

His eyes hardened as he shut the door behind him, "Why would I throw you out?"

Kaz gaped at him for a few moments, suddenly quite certain her day could not get any weirder.

"Well I…you tell me! Why did you take all of my things?"

"Because you're staying here," he announced as though it were completely obvious, and it almost rendered her speechless.

"I…_why?!"_

"You were beaten to a pulp last night; I'd have thought it'd be obvious. You won't last through initiation if this continues, which would be a waste."

It was a compliment of sorts, even if it did make her feel like a disposable object. He thought the other initiates had done this, but that didn't justify anything.

"You can't do that; people will think the rankings-"

"Actually I can do whatever I want."

"But why not Tris, or Four even!"

"They're incompetent enough as it is, let alone with an initiate to babysit."

"Where would I sleep I-"

She saw his slow smirk and immediately saw red.

"I'M NOT SLEEPING IN YOUR BED, YOU CAN FORGET-"

"Interesting you should jump to that conclusion, there's actually a perfectly good sofa."

Her heard dropped on to the steel box with a loud _thunk, _she was so exhausted, both mentally and physically, it was all she could do not to pass out right there.

It had been her plan to continue seeing him; in fact the plan had been put in to place so that she would have access to his personal information. The opportunity was being offered to her on a silver platter, not to mention intimacy was no longer essential.

Despite the suspicious feeling that he was pushing another agenda, Kazana could not deny that his actions were decent, and she would always appreciate decency, even if he was a cold blooded killer.

Exhaustion began to take its toll as her head lulled to the side and she released a heavy exhale.

"Thank you."

He watched her carefully, evidently surprised at her gratitude but simply nodded and approached to grab a large shirt from the top of her box. The very same she had taken last night.

"It's only till the end of this week, after stage 3 you will leave."

Eric threw the dark material over his shoulder and fixed her with a cold look.

"And don't make a habit of stealing my clothes."

She'd been about to give a snapped reply about the lack of attire he'd left her in when both sense and realization dawned on her.

The shirt.

She'd been wearing the shirt; it was riddled with Max's DNA. How had that piece of crucial information managed to escape her? If Eric was making fast progress with the case then she had to know.

He turned away to move in to the kitchen, Kazana hastily followed.

"H-how is Max's investigation going?"

Eric leaned against the edge of the counter and filled a glass with water.

"It's not, the case it closed."

"Closed?"

"We found a suicide note in his apartment."

She paled, that wasn't possible.

"You don't think somebody planted it there?"

He leaned further back with the glass in his hand, arms covering the length of the counter as his steely gaze stayed on her. It still unnerved her, the way he could watch her so dominantly without a hint of shame, his arms and torso were covered in thin black material that emphasized sculpted muscle.

"The note was found in his safe, no one else has access to it."

No, no that couldn't be true. It had to be a lie, there had to be another explanation. Kazana stumbled back in to the stone arch and tried to comprehend the gravity of his words.

They had planted the note before she had even talked to him, before their interaction. They knew he was going to die; it didn't matter if she had taken the offer or not, they had _planned_ for Max to die.

But _why? _What possible reason could there be for pre-empting the murder of a Dauntless leader? Especially after having expressed a sincere interest in the system's regularity?

"Can I see it?"

Eric narrowed his eyes, but after a few moments he brushed past her to the book shelf, he retrieved the note from hard pressed pages and held it out.

"There's nothing to see, I've tried deciphering it myself."

Her shivering fingers enclosed his as she took the worn paper from his hands, for once even the warmth of his hands and close proximity could not deter her trembling.

_Regrettably I must inform you that my _

_place in this world holds little value. _

_Time has worn me down, made me a mere_

_shell of the man I once was. Forgive me. _

He was right, it was generic. A simple note, there was nothing from which she could infer an explanation. She had been tempted to tear it to pieces, but such a display would not go unpunished, her eyes continued to scan the words desperately.

_Regrettably I must inform you._

_Time has worn me down._

An answer, she needed answers!

_A mere shell, time has worn me down a mere shell, my place in this world, regrettably I must, _

She stopped. A pattern, there were patterns in everything. There was beauty in chaos.

Regrettably, Place, Time, Shell.

RPTS.


End file.
